Lentils with Vegetables in Tahini Sauce: High Protein!
- Updated on Oct 19, 2022
A hearty dish of lentils with vegetables makes a great meal idea if you’re looking for a tasty and filling lunch in less than half an hour.
Comforting and full of protein, this dish will help you last until dinnertime with no problem.
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With pulses, veg, toasted nuts and a tahini sauce, I’m getting excited to eat this dish. It is giving me real Indian-Med fusion vibes and I think you’ll see why when you take a look at what’s going to be in it.
Ingredients
Lentils
The base of this dish is lentils. They’re a great pulse that is going to create a really hearty and filling vegetarian main dish.
I recommended black or brown lentils for this recipe as the nutty flavour will compliment the tahini sauce nicely.
Veggies
I decided to throw in lots of different veggies that are not only nutritious but also colorful. I went with red onion, green beans, kale, yellow bell peppers, and sundried tomatoes – it will be like a rainbow in that bowl!
Sauce
The key ingredient in my sauce is tahini. Tahini gives a lovely nutty flavour and it will work well with the other dressing ingredients.
To create the sauce you’ll also need lemon juice and zest, sugar, cloves of garlic, soy sauce, salt, and water to get it to a lovely creamy consistency.
Toppings
To finish this Middle-Eastern-inspired dish, I chose to toast some gorgeous cashew nuts and add sundried tomatoes.
The nuts give it a really lovely crunch and the flavor from the tomatoes is going to make your taste buds do a little dance – this is definitely a go-to meal for me!
How many calories are in this lentils with vegetables dish?
This lentil recipe is a well-balanced, high-protein dish that is perfect as part of a healthy lifestyle or calorie-controlled diet (and if you like it, you need to try our other veggie lentil recipes!).
There are 538 calories in this recipe which is the perfect amount for a healthy main meal (check out these healthy high calorie vegetarian meals for more dinner ideas!).
There are an awesome 26 grams of protein, which will really help you feel full between meals.
Here is an overview of the rest of the nutritional information:
Health benefits
Lentils are a fantastically nutritious pulse to get into vegan veggie recipes and here are some of the health benefits to explain why you need to eat more.
They are full of fiber which is supports the digestive system.
Eating high-fiber food with most meals suggests you could reduce the risk of colon cancer. Lentils are also full of iron and folate, which is good for heart health and fighting fatigue.
All the veggies you are getting in this dish are really going to help towards that 5-a-day target, they’re low-calorie and full of goodness for your body.
Tahini is a great addition to any diet, made from sesame seeds, tahini is not only full of antioxidants and healthy fats.
It also has cancer-fighting compounds and anti-inflammatory properties. I think we all need to consume more of this!
If you’re trying this recipe as part of a calorie-controlled plan, take a look at your Free 7-day Weight Loss Meal Plan.
This dish would also work well if you’re trying to build muscle too and this Free 7-day High-Protein Meal plan will give you more high-protein meals to try.
Finished already? If you never want to run out of ideas, subscribe to the full weekly high-protein plan or weekly weight-loss plan.
Subscribe to get our FREE 7-Day Vegetarian High Protein Meal Plan for Weight Loss
How to make the best tahini lentils?
Time needed: 30 minutes.
- Prep time:
Let’s start off by cooking the lentils over medium heat following the packet instructions as a guide (with canned lentils you can speed up this process), then chopping up all the veggies into small pieces.
- Cooking time:
In a large skillet, add some olive oil and cook the veg until it’s golden brown, just don’t burn the garlic. When the kale leaves go in they’re going to wilt so don’t worry about how much is in there.
- Sauce time:
While it’s cooking we’re going to make up that lovely tahini sauce, and check if the lentils need any salt.
- To finish:
Fry the cashews and sundried tomatoes for a little bit in a small pan until golden. Heating up the tomatoes will give a quick release of flavor as the oils come out.
- Serve:
Top the lentils and veg with the cashews, tomatoes, parsley, and tahini sauce for a really delicious meal.
For more details check out the printable recipe card down below.
Veggie Tahini Lentils FAQs
There are 89 calories in 1 tablespoon of tahini.
The great thing about this lentil recipe is that it can be stored in the fridge for 3 days so if you want to have leftovers the next day you can.
Perhaps store the sauce separately (or make it fresh) then you can add it on just before you reheat it.
To reheat the dish warm in the microwave until hot all the way through.
The best way to serve this lentil dish would be to add a nice green side salad with some baby spinach, or perhaps some crusty bread, warm pitta, or sourdough toast (don’t forget to add those extra calories though if you’re counting).
Yes, you could make this recipe ahead of time, but I would suggest leaving off the sauce and toppings until you’re ready to eat.
Most lentils don’t require soaking and take between 20 and 40 minutes until cooked. However, there are two benefits of soaking them:
1. It roughly reduces the cook time by half.
2. Pre-soaking lentils improves digestibility.
Yes, you can eat lentils everyday if you wish. They are full of dietary fiber and are great for many things including your digestive system so it is good to eat them regularly.
Tahini has a nutty, slightly bitter flavor as it is made from sesame seeds.
Recipe variations
Different lentils: I chose to use brown lentils as they are cheap and easy to pick up in the store. However, if you only have red lentils you could use them also, they take less time to cook.
You can also pick up microwave cooked lentils these days – another way to speed up the cooking process.
Different base: If you can’t get hold of lentils or you don’t like them, I think quinoa, rice or even noodles would be a great substitution.
Different veg: Next time you could add in whichever fresh veggies you like. How about roasted sweet potatoes, yellow onion, some beans (white beans / pinto beans / lima beans / black beans etc), whatever you fancy.
Different sauce: If you need a tahini substitute, a peanut butter sauce would also work well.
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Equipment
Ingredients
- ¾ cup brown or black lentils, dried
- ½ red onion
- 1 bell pepper (yellow or red)
- 1 clove garlic
- 5.5 oz green beans
- 2 oz kale leaves
- 2 sprig parsley, fresh
- 2 tsp olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp cashews (chopped)
- 1 tbsp sun-dried tomatoes in oil (chopped)
Sauce
- 2 tbsp tahini
- 1 clove garlic (grated)
- 1 lemon
- ½ tbsp sugar
- ½ tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp olive oil
- Salt to taste
- 2 tbsp water
Instructions
Preparation
- Cook lentils according to package instructions.¾ cup brown or black lentils, dried
- Thinly slice red onion and bell pepper, and chop remaining garlic clove.½ red onion, 1 bell pepper, 1 clove garlic
- Trim green beans and slice diagonally.5.5 oz green beans
- Finely chop kale leaves and parsley.2 oz kale leaves, 2 sprig parsley, fresh
- In a large skillet add olive oil over medium heat. Once it's hot, add red onion, peppers and green beans. Cook until the edges start becoming golden.2 tsp olive oil
- Add chopped garlic and cook for about 2 minutes, mixing.
- Add kale leaves and cooked lentils and mix. Once the kale has wilted down, add 1 tsp of salt and black pepper to taste.Salt and pepper to taste
- Fry in a small skillet the cashews and sun-dried tomatoes until cashews are golden.1 tbsp cashews, 1 tbsp sun-dried tomatoes in oil
Sauce
- Meanwhile, mix tahini, zest and juice of the lemon, sugar, the grated garlic clove, soy sauce, salt and water until fully incorporated.2 tbsp tahini, 1 lemon, ½ tbsp sugar, ½ tbsp soy sauce, Salt to taste, 2 tbsp water, 1 clove garlic
- Taste lentils and add extra salt if necessary.
- Serve lentils topped with chopped parsley, remaining olive oil, cashews and tomatoes, and tahini sauce.2 tsp olive oil
NOTES
- Tasty & protein-packed Fitness Lentil Bean Salad
- Delicious dressing Turkish Lentil Salad
- Satisfying lunch Arugula Lentil Salad From Heaven
- Arabic inspiration Lentil Tabbouleh
- Crazy tasty Lentil Quinoa Salad
Nutrition
I hope you love the finished product as much as I do. It is a great one when you just want to eat a comforting meal without too much hard work.
I’ve been eating this dish with my family for a long time and we all give it a 5 star review – will you? Let me know in the comments below.
Dave Bell
I’m not a foodie, although I do love eating. I believe food should serve us and our goals, not hinder. Taking control and responsibility for what I eat is important to me. Lots of veggie protein is my way forward.
Abril Macías
Creator of this wonderful recipe!
I am a culinary creator and food photographer from Quito, Ecuador. I have a Master’s degree in New Food Thinking and a Bachelor’s degree in Gastronomy, my expertise lies in crafting and capturing creative dishes. Collaborating with websites and blogs worldwide, I develop recipes and bring them to life through captivating photographs.
I dedicate my work in the kitchen and through the lens to explore food from different backgrounds, origins and diets. I would describe my style as “comfort food with a twist”. My goal is to create recipes that are homely, yet attractive, delicious and have something different and exiting to them.
Comments
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2 comments
Could we substitute Kale with another green veg, e.g. spinach?
Absolutely!