Today I would like to share with you one of my favourite recipes: green lentils with tomatoes and onions. This is my emergency dinner recipe as I cook it when I am back from work, I do not have much time to cook and I am starving. It feels me up, is healthy and absolutely delicious.

Lentils are a pulse, a cousin to the pea, that originated in Asia and North Africa. They have been enjoyed by humans since Neolithic times. Lentil in Latin is ‘lens’ and these are named after the lentil’s round shape.

They come in lots of different varieties including yellow, red, brown, black and green. Green lentils have an earthy, nutty flavour and firm, ‘meaty’ texture, which makes them an ideal substitute in meat-free cooking.

Of all nuts and legumes, only soy beans and hemp have higher levels of protein than lentils. They are iron-rich, high in fibre – with green lentils containing more fibre than red, and low in fat. They are a source of bone-strengthening calcium, folate for heart health and brain-boosting vitamin B.

You can buy dry lentils which you need to soak (at least for a few hours before cooking) or canned lentils. When I prepare meals for the whole week during the weekend, I usually soak 250-300g of dry dentils overnight. I drain them the next day, put in a glass food storage box and store in a fridge. It will take you less time to cook while preparing your meal.

 

Here it goes – my easy and delicious recipe for green lentils :).

Ingredients:

• 200 g green lentils
• 1 bunch of spring onions
• 200 g ripe cherry tomatoes
• 1 large bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 large bunch of fresh mint
• extra virgin olive oil
• 1 lemon

 

 

Method

This is very simple and will take you no longer than 30-40 minutes! Easy, quick and, in addition, healthy and good for PCOS women.

1. Rinse the lentils, then cook in plenty of salted water until tender. Drain and set aside to cool.
2. Trim and finely slice the spring onions
3. Halve the tomatoes
4. Finely chop the herb leaves.
5. Mix the cooled lentils with the spring onions, tomatoes, herbs.
6. Add  4 tablespoons of oil.
7. Add the lemon juice to taste
8. Season with sea salt and black pepper.

Enjoy!