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I love lentils and Puy lentils are my favourites. Especially, if I can cook them quickly without a slow cooker. I’m always after healthy lentil recipes! Just can’t beat a good lentil soup when it’s cold outside!

What is főzelék?

This vegan lentil stew recipe reminds my of one of my favourite childhood dishes my mum used to cook, it’s a very popular and cheap Hungarian dish type – often overcooked and too mushy with some veggies though, but not with lentils. It’s called főzelek. Similar to pottage, the főzelék is a traditional Hungarian vegetable-based meal, which plays a vital role in our cuisine as it complements meat dishes perfectly and has a good effect on metabolism. It is simply cooked, typically by simmering, adding milk/cream and/or flour as thickening. Főzelék is often eaten as the main course for lunch or like a garnish for different meat courses.

What spices to use for lentil recipes?

So this stew features some spices popular in Hungarian dishes: smoked paprika, chilli paprika and bay leaves. But the rest is very generic, basic stew ingredients – minus the meat obviously. The vegetables are also quite interchangeable: I’d say definitely add some carrots, but you can also use sweet potato, leeks, shallots, kale, chickpeas, whatever you have in the pantry. You can also use other brown or green lentils.

One pot lentil recipe

There is a step zero in this recipe, which I definitely recommend doing: soaking the lentils overnight. This reduces cooking time incredibly, so we’re looking at a cooked meal in an hour versus 2-2.5 hours. Also, all the veg cook evenly and the rest will not be a mashed mess buy the time the lentil cooks. So you can also save energy, and no need to get the slow cooker out.

Are lentils healthy?

Lentils are indeed a healthy addition to any diet. They are rich in protein, making them a great plant-based source for vegetarians and vegans. Packed with essential nutrients like fiber, iron, and folate, lentils can help support digestive health and maintain balanced blood sugar levels. Moreover, their low calorie content makes them a perfect food for weight management. Lentils also possess various antioxidants that can help reduce inflammation in the body.

What’s the best way to cook lentils?

In my opinion, it has to be soup or thicker stew-like meals like this hearty, vegan lentil stew. You can flavour them a lot of different ways: add meat, as Indian spices, or Middle-Eastern spices – lentil is a staple in many cuisines. You can also add them to salads as a cooked protein ingredient.

This is though such a hearty meal. You wouldn’t even miss the meat even if you eat meat. Really flavoursome, filling and warms you up on a cold day. Perfect.