Creamy Sour Lentil Recipes That Won’t Break Your Budget! Get inspired

Looking for an idea for a delicious, quick but cheap lunch? Kill all flies with one stone with these pickled lentils recipes!

The dishes are not difficult, practically one pot will be enough for you.

And they are incredibly delicious, the lentils melt right on the tongue.

Sour lentils with egg and fried onion

A classic “one pot” recipe, or food cooked in one pot. This pickled lentil recipe is really tasty, easy to prepare and highly nutritious. The sweet and sour taste of green lentils is perfectly balanced by vinegar, onion, salt and black pepper.

What will we need

On the lens

1. 450 g of green lentils
2. 2 bay leaves
3. 2 tablespoons of oil
4. 180 g onion (finely chopped)
5. 60 ml vinegar (or white wine)
6. Teaspoon of salt
7. ½ teaspoon of black pepper
8. A spoonful of sugar

For fried onions

1. 2 tablespoons of oil
2. 120 g onion (finely chopped)

For attachment

1. Fried egg
2. Pickles
3. Chopped fresh parsley

Method

1. Rinse the lens thoroughly under cold water
2. Drain it into a large bowl
3. Add water so that it is approximately 5 centimeters above the lens
4. Let the lens soak in this way for at least an hour, but preferably overnight
5. Pour the soaked lentils and water into a larger pot
6. Add the bay leaves and bring to a boil
7. When the lentils start to boil, reduce the heat to medium and continue to cook in an uncovered pot
8. We cook it for approximately 15-18 minutes until it is completely soft
9. But be careful, it wouldn’t start to fall apart
10. When the lentils have the right structure, throw away the bay leaves
11. Strain the lentils through a sieve into a large bowl
12. Save the drained water and put it aside
13. Heat the vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium heat
14. Add the onion and cook until it becomes translucent
15. Add cooked lentils, vinegar, salt and pepper
16. Stir in the sugar, a little drained water and cook for another 10 minutes
17. For a creamier consistency, remove some lentils, blend until smooth, then return to the pot and mix
18. We taste the lentils and, if necessary, add flavor according to our preferences
19. For the fried onion, mix the oil with the chopped onion in a small pan at the same time
20. Heat it slowly over medium heat until golden brown, approximately 10-12 minutes
21. Put the onion aside and fry the ox eye in the same pan
22. Crack an egg into a medium-heated pan and cook it with the lid on until the egg white is completely cooked
23. We serve pickled lentils sprinkled with fried onions, with oxeye and sliced pickles

Sour red lentils with eggplant

Spice up dinner with this super healthy recipe that’s high in fiber, loaded with iron, and counts as 4 of your 5 meals a day—and it’s cheap!

What will we need

1. 100 g of red lentils
2. A teaspoon of turmeric
3. A spoonful of tamarind paste
4. Onion (sliced)
5. Garlic clove (pressed)
6. A piece of ginger (grated)
7. A spoonful of curry
8. Eggplant (sliced)
9. 500 ml of water

Method

1. Pour 500 ml of water over the lentils, turmeric and tamarind paste
2. Add salt and start cooking
3. Cook the lentils for 15 minutes until they are soft
4. We remove all the foam that has formed from the pot
5. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large pan
6. Add onion, garlic and ginger
7. Fry until golden for about 5 minutes
8. Add the curry to the mixture in the pan and cook for another 2 minutes
9. Add the lentils and continue cooking for another 10 minutes
10. Next, heat a frying pan to a very high temperature
11. Rub the eggplant with oil and season
12. Fry the seasoned eggplant slices in a pan for 2-3 minutes on each side
13. Sour lentils are served with roasted eggplant

Sour lentils with sausage

Give your grocery budget a break with this delicious sweet and sour lentil recipe. Lentils are not only cheap but also full of nutrients such as fiber, iron and phosphate.

What will we need

1. 600 ml of chicken stock
2. 450 g of lentils
3. 2 bay leaves
4. Teaspoon of salt
5. 75 g of butter
6. 2 onions
7. A spoonful of curry
8. 50 ml of red wine vinegar
9. 50 ml of honey
10. A teaspoon of oregano
11. A teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce
12. Sausage with a high meat content (at least 85%)
13. 3 cloves garlic (diced)

Method

1. Add broth, lentils and bay leaves to a large pot
2. Let’s start cooking the lentils at a medium temperature
3. Simmer until most of the broth has boiled away, approximately 15-20 minutes
4. While the lentils are cooking, dice the onion and fry it in butter
5. We fry it until it is golden
6. Add the rest of the ingredients and the fried onion with the butter to the pot with the lentils
7. Mix everything together and remove from the heat
8. Let the lens rest for 15 minutes
9. While the lentils are resting, brown the sausage evenly on all sides in the pan where we sauteed the onion
10. Roast it for 10-15 minutes at a moderate temperature so that it warms up inside and is crispy on the surface
11. This pickled lentil recipe also goes well with pickles, which nicely neutralize the greasy taste of the sausage.

Sour lentils with bacon

With a few basic ingredients, conjure up a lunch for the whole family that will both taste great and save you a lot of time and money.

What will we need

On the lens

1. A spoonful of oil
2. 170 g of bacon
3. Onion (finely chopped)
4. Carrot (diced)
5. A spoonful of cumin
6. 2 teaspoons of hot pepper
7. 2 teaspoons of sweet paprika
8. 300 g of lentils
9. 350 ml of stock
10. 2 bay leaves
11. 3 tablespoons white wine (or apple cider vinegar)
12. A spoonful of lemon juice
13. Salt
14. Pepper
15. A spoonful of sugar
16. 2 tablespoons of parsley

To serve

1. sour cream
2. pepper
3. Spoon of butter

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan
2. Add 100 g of bacon, onion and carrot
3. Fry until the bacon is fried and the onion is golden
4. Add cumin and paprika
5. Cook over medium heat until the spices are fragrant
6. Stir in the lentils and mix
7. Then add the broth, thyme and bay leaves
8. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat and cook the lentils for 25-35 minutes
9. Cook until the lentils are soft and the broth is boiled
10. If we chose brown lentils, be careful not to boil them, because they cook faster than green lentils
11. Add vinegar, lemon juice and remaining spices to the lentils
12. Add sugar and taste
13. We add spices according to our preferences so that the lentils have a balanced sweet and sour taste
14. Remove from the heat and let rest for 10 minutes
15. In a small pan, fry the remaining bacon in butter
16. Fry the bacon so that it is crispy to the bite
17. Boiled lentils are served with sour cream, sprinkled with fried bacon and paprika

Sour lentils with onion and speck

This classic German dish is packed with protein-packed lentils, bacon and vegetables. The recipe for pickled lentils in this version has a very thick consistency and is supplemented with traditional Swabian spečel together with German quality pork sausage.

What will we need

1. 5 slices bacon (diced)
2. Large onion (finely chopped)
3. Spoon of butter
4. Carrot (grated)
5. Leek (finely chopped)
6. 500 g of lentils
7. 600 ml of beef broth
8. Teaspoon of salt
9. Bay leaf
10. A teaspoon of pepper
11. A teaspoon of sugar
12. 25 ml of white vinegar
13. Chopped fresh parsley
14. Speckle
15. Pork sausages (with a high meat content of min. 90%)

Method

1. Fry the bacon in a medium-heated pot
2. Add the onion and continue cooking for approximately 5-7 minutes
3. Our onions have to vitrify
4. Add butter, carrots and leeks
5. Cook for another 5 minutes
6. Add lentils, stock and bay leaf
7. Mix and season with salt, pepper and sugar
8. Bring the whole mixture to a boil
9. Reduce the temperature and cover with a shelf
10. We cook the lentils like this for about 40 minutes until they are soft
11. Then add vinegar and parsley
12. We continue cooking for another 5 minutes
13. If the lentils seem too thick, dilute them with a little broth
14. Taste and season the lentils with pepper, salt or vinegar
15. Remove the finished sour lentils from the stove and let them rest for 10 minutes
16. Meanwhile, according to the instructions, we will prepare spečel and pork sausages
17. We serve boiled splet with pickled lentils, sausages and pickled cucumber

Lentils are sold in stores in several different varieties. Brown lentils and green lentils are among the most commonly used types. But there are also other lesser-known varieties such as black lentils and red lentils.

Each species has its own specifics, which it is good to know before cooking in order to achieve the best result. Brown and green lentils are rich in folic acid and iron, so they are recommended for those suffering from anemia. These lentils must be soaked in cold water before cooking. And it is excellent for preparing soups.

Red lentils are a good source of iron, selenium, phosphorus and other substances that allow the even release of glucose into the blood, so it is an ideal ingredient for diabetics or someone on a diet, and it is also a great source of protein for babies when they are transitioning to solid food.

The so-called beluga black lentil has a high protein and fiber content. Its great advantage is that it does not need to be soaked before cooking, which is why it is a great ingredient for those who cannot devote enough time to cooking.