Lentils are a great vegetarian source of protein. They are relatively easy and quite versatile to prepare. They are faster cooking than other legumes, so I often pull them out when I want something quick and healthy to eat. Also you don’t need to add a lot of extra ingredients to most lentils dishes. Onion, garlic, and a few quality spices are really all you need to transform dried lentils into a yummy meal. In addition to their delicious flavor, onions and garlic carry so many health benefits onto themselves so you’ll want to include them frequently and liberally in your diet. Here’s a simple lentil dish that also adds in sweet potato for an extra nutritional boost.

Ingredients:

Olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 -3 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 cup of dried lentils (I use green lentils in this dish)

2 teaspoons curry powder (or more according to taste)

3 cups of water

1 medium sweet potato, peeled and chopped

salt to taste

Directions:

1. Saute onions and garlic in olive oil.

2. Add dried lentils and 1 teaspoon curry powder. Saute for 1-2 minutes, stiring to coat lentil and onions with curry powder.

3. Add 3 cups of water and bring to a boil.

4. Add 1 teaspoon of curry powder (or more to taste), salt, and sweet potato. Reduce heat and simmer for 40 minutes. Keep an eye on water level and add more if needed.

Serve Curried Lentils over Basmati rice, with a side of Garlicky Kale, and a slice of Naan for a complete meal.

Tip: Another variation of this recipe would be to replace curry powder with taco seasoning to create a vegetarian taco filling. Yum!

-Sarah