Serve up a easy vegetarian dinner with this simple Italian Lentils recipe that’s bursting with freshness from tomatoes and fresh herbs. It’s a yummy iron-rich recipe to pair with rice or noodles.
Italian Lentils Recipe
I try to keep lentils in my pantry so I have them for quick family dinners during the week—which I tend to turn to whenever I run out of cooking ideas. And this recipe, which also uses canned tomatoes, is a perfect pantry dinner when it seems like there’s no food in the house.
Lentils are a great source of iron, which is a nutrient that many kids fall short on. And they’re a really affordable pantry staple. Paired with rice, they’re a satisfying dinner that kids of any age can enjoy.
Table of Contents
Your toddler won’t eat? Help is here!
Sign up for our email updates to get tips and ideas sent to your inbox.
Ingredients You Need
To make this recipe, you’ll need to have the following ingredients on hand and ready to go.
- Dry brown lentils: These are usually sold in stores near the rice, so look in that aisle. Different varieties of lentils cook at different rates, so know that this recipe was developed and tested with the brown ones I call for.
- Onion: Any color onion works here, so use what you have on hand or prefer.
- Garlic powder: I like to use garlic powder to add flavor without having to chop, but you can add minced fresh garlic clove if you prefer.
- Crushed tomatoes: You can use plain or with basil according to your preference. The variety with basil will add more flavor to the finished dish.
- Dried thyme: Thyme in the mix with the other flavors adds a pleasant undertone of flavor.
- Rice or pasta for serving, fully cooked.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here’s a look at the one-pot process of making this recipe. Scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full info, including the amounts and the timing.
- Dice the onion and add it to a wide pan with the lentils and spices.
- Add liquid and bring to a simmer.
- Cook until soft.
- Stir in the tomatoes and adjust salt. Serve over cooked rice.
TIP: You can also puree this smooth in a blender if you think your kids would prefer it that way!
Vegetarian Lentils
Lentils are a wonderful source of plant-based protein and iron, and they’re a really inexpensive source of protein to share with the family. If you pair them with a grain, you’ll have a complete source of protein to satisfy everyone at the table.
How to Add More Veggies
Sure! You can add in a cup of diced zucchini, shredded carrot, diced butternut squash or acorn squash, baby spinach, or baby kale for extra veggies. You may need to cook a little longer depending on the veggie, so taste or poke with a fork to check that everything is nice and soft.
Serving Suggestions
We like to serve these lentils over rice, pasta, or another grain like quinoa. And for the kids, we add a simple side of sliced cucumber and fruit to round things out. (Adding those simple sides will also help to ensure that the kids have something to eat if they aren’t interested in tasting the lentils.) You can also top with shredded or crumbled cheese, fresh basil, and/or grated Parmesan.
Lentils for baby
Sure! You may want to reduce or eliminate the salt. You could remove their portion and then salt the rest.
How to Store
Store leftovers in an airtight container for 3-5 days in the fridge, or in the freezer in a freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and warm to serve.
Best Tips for Success
- Add diced zucchini, baby spinach, or baby kale for extra veggies.
- Serve over pasta or another grain instead of rice.
- Puree the sauce for smaller eaters, or puree and stir into pasta.
- Top with minced fresh basil, Parmesan cheese, cracked black pepper, or a stronger flavored cheese such as feta or goat cheese.
Related Recipes
I’d love to hear what your family thinks of this recipe, so please comment below to leave feedback!
Italian Lentils with Rice
Ingredients
- 2 cups dry brown lentils
- 4 cups water
- 2 cloves garlic (minced or grated, or 2 tsp garlic powder)
- 1/2 cup minced onion (about 1 small onion, peel discarded)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- 28 ounce can marinara sauce
- 2 cups fully cooked jasmine or basmati rice
- Goat cheese, shredded mozzarella, crushed red pepper, shredded basil for serving, optional
Instructions
- Add the lentils, water, garlic, onion, salt, and thyme to a medium pot.
- Bring to a simmer and cook for 25-30 minutes or until the lentils are tender but still holding their shape.
- Stir in the marinara sauce and warm through.
- Serve over rice with optional toppings.
Equipment
Notes
- Store leftovers in an airtight container for 3-5 days in the fridge, or in the freezer in a freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and warm to serve.
- Add diced zucchini, baby spinach, or baby kale for extra veggies.
- Puree the sauce for smaller eaters, or puree and stir into pasta.
- Use crushed tomatoes instead of marinara sauce or a less expensive ingredient list. Add more salt to taste and perhaps a little olive oil or butter if needed for flavor.
Nutrition
This post was first published May 2018.
So easy and flavorful. We used Raos marinara sauce.
Ooh, I bet that was a delicious base!
We really enjoyed this stew. We added diced zucchini and shredded carrots to the lentils. So yummy.
Very good, happy to have a way to add lentils into our mealtime routine!
Can I use an instant pot?
Yes, though I haven’t tested it that way. I would guess the timing would be about 6 minutes on high with about 10 minutes of natural release. I think I would cook the lentils in the water with that timing, then once you open it, drain off any remaining water and add in the rest of the ingredients. This will prevent it from being too soupy. (There may not be that much water left, but I’m not certain so I’m being cautious.
Suggestion add rinse lentils to step one. If someone is not familiar with lentils or really how to prep lentils. . They may not know the importance of rinsing them first. Just at a thoughtful i had. Otherwise i’m excited to try this recipe today. Great idea thanks.
One of toddler’s favourite meals, and notoriously fussy husband enjoyed it too! Thank you!
Both my 9 month old and 2.5 year old ate this up. However it was extremely messy for little eaters. My husband thought it was a bit bland, maybe it was the sauce I used, but he suggested more spices.
Hi! Do you have any tips for preparing this recipe in a crock pot? If I tried 4-6 hours on low do you think that would be enough to cook the dish w/out it becoming too mushy? Thanks!
I think about 6 hours on low would be right—they may still be a little al dente but that should be in the ballpark. I think the liquid should be about right but I can’t 100% confirm since I haven’t tried it. I think it’s likely it will be great though!
Thank you. I tried 6 hours on low and it came out great. I added the crushed tomatoes with everything else at the beginning and swapped out 1/2 of the water for low sodium chicken broth.
Great!