What can I make with lentils and tomato?
Lentils and Tomato is the cheapest route to a filling, high-protein dinner. Recipes using lentils and tomato are below, followed by the base-building and acid-finishing steps that stop legume dishes tasting flat.
12 recipes with lentils and tomato
Lentil Soup
Hearty red lentil soup with cumin and lemon.
Mediterranean40m6
Smoky Lentil Chili with Squash
Begin by roasting the squash.
British4
Corba
Pick through your lentils for any foreign debris, rinse them 2 or 3 times, drain, and set aside.
Turkish4Greek Village Salad (Horiatiki)
Tomatoes, cucumber, peppers, olives and a slab of feta with olive oil.
Mediterranean10m4
Greek Salad
Crisp cucumber, tomato, olives, and feta with oregano dressing.
Mediterranean10m2
Wedge Salad
Chilled iceberg wedge with creamy blue cheese and bacon.
American10m4Zucchini Noodles
Spiralized zucchini tossed with pesto and cherry tomatoes.
American15m4Classic Ham Sandwich
A simple yet satisfying sandwich filled with ham and served on toasted bread.
American15m2
Ground Beef Tacos
Classic American-style hard shell beef tacos.
Mexican20m4
Cobb Salad
Chopped salad with chicken, egg, avocado, bacon, and blue cheese.
American20m4Tabbouleh
Bright parsley and bulgur salad with lemon and mint.
Middle Eastern20m4
Fattoush
Crunchy pita salad with sumac and pomegranate molasses.
Middle Eastern20m4
Turning lentils and tomato into a real meal
- 1Rinse canned lentils and tomato to remove the tinny liquid, or simmer dried ones with a bay leaf until creamy.
- 2Build a base first: onion and garlic softened in oil, then spices bloomed in the fat for 30 seconds.
- 3Add the lentils and tomato plus just enough liquid to come halfway up, then mash a spoonful against the pot to thicken everything.
- 4Finish with acid - lime, vinegar, or a spoon of yogurt. Acid is what makes legumes taste seasoned rather than flat.
What goes well with lentils and tomato
Lentils and Tomato is at its best with cumin, onion, garlic, tomato, cilantro and lime. Any two or three of those, plus lentils and tomato, is already a dinner rather than an ingredient list.
Storing lentils and tomato
Dry lentils and tomato keeps for months in a sealed container away from light and heat. Once cooked, cool it quickly, refrigerate within two hours, and use within 3-4 days; cooked grains and legumes freeze extremely well in single-portion bags.
Substituting lentils and tomato
If you are out of lentils and tomato, look for something that behaves the same way in the pan rather than something that tastes the same. Match the moisture level, the cooking time, and the richness, and adjust the liquid slightly if your substitute releases more water. When in doubt, describe what you actually have in the chat and Mr. Chef will rewrite the recipe around it.
Lentils and Tomato recipes: common questions
- What can I make with lentils and tomato and not much else?
- Plenty. With lentils and tomato plus an onion, garlic, oil, and salt you already have the base of a skillet dinner, a soup, or a simple sauce. Add a starch - rice, pasta, bread, or potatoes - and it becomes a full meal. The recipes above are ordered so the ones needing the fewest extra items come first.
- What is the quickest lentils and tomato recipe?
- Look for the entries above marked 20 minutes or less. As a rule, anything cut small and cooked in a hot pan beats anything roasted whole, and one-pan recipes save more time in cleanup than in cooking.
- Can I substitute lentils and tomato?
- In most recipes yes, as long as the replacement plays a similar role - similar moisture, similar cooking time, similar richness. Swapping across roles (a watery vegetable for a starchy one, for instance) usually needs a change in liquid or cooking time too.
- How do I use up leftover lentils and tomato?
- Fried rice, a frittata, a grain bowl, a soup, or a quesadilla will absorb almost any leftover lentils and tomato without a recipe. If you want something specific, tell Mr. Chef exactly what is in the fridge and it will build a recipe around it.
- Are these lentils and tomato recipes vegetarian-friendly?
- Many are, and the vegetarian and vegan collections filter the whole library down to recipes with no meat or no animal products at all. In the chat you can also say "vegan" or "no dairy" and every suggestion will respect it.