Cheesy Vegetarian

Vegetarian Lentil Recipes (Easy + Delicious!)

Is there a single ingredient more versatile than lentils?! I think not – and if you don’t agree, this collection of vegetarian lentil recipes might just convince you. The humble lentil can do absolutely anything – from lentil burgers to lentil stew, lentil pasta to lentil tacos, lentil salad to lentil curry… basically, you can put the word ‘lentil’ in front of basically any food type, and it will make total sense. Go on, try it. I’ve even made lentil pizza!

If you’re new to lentils, you might want to start by reading my posts about the different types of lentils, and how to cook lentils. Or, if you’re already a lentil fangirl (or fanboy) like I am, read on for all the vegetarian lentil recipes (and vegan lentil recipes too!) you’ll ever need.

Collage of vegetarian lentil recipes with bold yellow title.

😕 What’s so Good about Lentils?

Lentils are the little black dress of the food world – they can be dressed up or down to fit any meal, any cuisine, any occasion… You can bring them to life in totally different ways.
Lentils are small but mighty – little powerhouses of nutrition. Despite each lentil being absolutely tiny, they’re absolutely packed full of goodness – 100g of dried lentils contains approximately 11 grams of fibre, 25 grams of protein and 7 grams of iron (source: USDA).
They’re also easy to cook, seriously cheap to buy, and an absolutely delicious way to make hearty, comforting meals.

I’ve organised these recipes depending on what type of lentil they use – red lentils, green or brown lentils (which I’ve grouped together as they can usually be used interchangeably), or canned lentils. So if you have a pack of lentils hanging out in your kitchen cupboard, you can skip straight to the right section for all the inspiration you’ll need.

Let me know which one you’ll make first!

❤️ Recipes using Red Lentils

Cheesy Lentil and Veggie Slice

This cheesy lentil and veggie slice is absolutely packed with flavour, and it can be made with store cupboard ingredients, using whatever veggies you have in the house!

Total time: 1 40

Servings: 6 people

Get the recipe here!

Seriously Easy Red Lentil Soup

A seriously easy red lentil soup recipe that can use whatever vegetables you have in the fridge to make a delicious, smooth, creamy soup.

Total time: 30

Servings: 5 people

Get the recipe here!

Easy red lentil soup topped with Greek yogurt and red pesto.

Easy Tarka Dal (Vegan Red Lentil Curry)

Tarka dal is the ultimate simple lentil curry – just a few aromatic spices can transform a few lentils into a creamy, richly flavourful dish!

Total time: 30

Servings: 2 people

Get the recipe here!

Bowl of tarka dal topped with fresh cilatro.

Vegetarian Moussaka

This vegetarian moussaka is a classic Greek dish made with aubergine and lentils in a rich tomatoey sauce. The perfect healthy vegetarian comfort food!

Total time: 1 50

Servings: 5 people

Get the recipe here!

Portion of vegetarian moussaka on a plate.

Easy Lentil Pizza (with Regular Crust)

Adding red lentils to a pizza not only makes it extra hearty and comforting, but also adds a whopping 13g of additional protein and 4g of iron, per pizza!

Total time: 50

Servings: 2 individual pizzas

Get the recipe here!

A lentil pizza topped with tomatoes and red onion, cut into quarters.

Easy Vegan Lentil Loaf

An easy vegan lentil loaf that couldn’t be simpler to make, and ends up moist and full of flavour! Perfect for Christmas or Thanksgiving.

Total time: 1 15

Servings: 6 people

Get the recipe here!

Goat’s cheese and potato lentil gratin

This lentil gratin is hearty enough to be your main meal – with thinly sliced potatoes, cream, and crispy goat’s cheese!

Total time: 1 50

Servings: 4 people

Get the recipe here!

Creamy roasted carrot dal

This creamy roasted carrot dal ticks all the boxes – it’s simple and cheap to make, but has so much flavour!

Total time: 35

Servings: 2 people

Get the recipe here!

Cheesy Potato and Lentil Pie

What could be better than a cheesy potato pie?! This one has creamy red lentils for added goodness and a crispy pastry crust.

Total time: 1 10

Servings: 6

Get the recipe here!

Cheesy Lentil Pasta

This cheesy lentil pasta is the perfect hearty comfort food – made in just 20 minutes, with 6 store cupboard ingredients! Plus it’s kid friendly and full of goodness.

Total time: 20

Servings: 4 people

Get the recipe here!

A portion of cheesy lentil pasta with peas in a bowl, served with garlic bread.

Very Veggie Lentil Bake

One of my most popular recipes ever, with almost entirely 5 star reviews! Its appearance doesn’t do it justice – this lentil bake is incredibly tasty, and so easy to adapt!

Total time: 50

Servings: 4 people

Get the recipe here!

💚🤎 Recipes using Green or Brown Lentils

Cheesy Slow Cooker Lentils

These cheesy slow cooker lentils are almost zero effort to make, they’re tasty served in a million different ways, and you can use whatever veg you have on hand!

Total time: 3 40

Servings: 3 people

Get the recipe here!

Vegetarian Lentil Sausage Rolls

These vegetarian lentil sausage rolls are packed with rich, earthy flavours, and they’re perfect for a kids’ party or a lunchbox!

Total time: 1

Servings: 16 small rolls

Get the recipe here!

Enchilada Lentil Casserole

This Tex-Mex lentil casserole is the perfect healthy comfort food – packed with veggies, and full of protein and fibre, but still cheesy and irresistible!

Total time: 1 10

Servings: 3 people

Get the recipe here!

Easy lentil and halloumi curry

This lentil and halloumi curry is really straightforward to make, and absolutely full of flavour – halloumi curry is a revelation!

Total time: 45

Servings: 3 people

Get the recipe here!

Slow cooker lentil and quinoa tacos

These slow cooker lentil and quinoa tacos are a super low effort dinner that’s also healthy, full of flavour, and endlessly customisable!

Total time: 3 40

Servings: 6 people

Get the recipe here!

🥫 Recipes using Canned Lentils

Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie

Shepherd’s pie is proper British comfort food, and this vegetarian version is absolutely packed with flavour and wholesome ingredients.

Total time: 1

Servings: 4 people

Get the recipe here!

A portion of vegetarian shepherd's pie on a plate served with fresh arugula.

Cheesy Lentil Burgers

If you’re looking for a straightforward, easy to make veggie burger that’s completely delicious and hearty too, these cheesy lentil burgers are the recipe for you!

Total time: 55

Servings: 5 burgers

Get the recipe here!

Vegetable Moussaka Casserole

This vegetable moussaka casserole is a much easier version of a vegetarian moussaka – but is just as tasty, with a luxurious creamy topping!

Total time: 2

Servings: 4

Get the recipe here!

A large spoon taking a scoop of vegetable moussaka casserole.

Warm lentil and halloumi salad

A warm, hearty salad with herby lentils, grilled halloumi cheese and roasted veggies – great for any time of year!

Total time: 25

Servings: 2 people

Get the recipe here!

Walnut and Bean Bolognese

This walnut and bean bolognese is an easy veggie version of spaghetti bolognese, made only with store cupboard ingredients!

Total time: 30

Servings: 3 people

Get the recipe here!

Black bean and lentil vegetarian koftas

These tasty vegetarian koftas couldn’t be easier to make, with no pre-cooking required! Plus, they can be served in all sorts of different ways.

Total time: 40

Servings: 3 people

Get the recipe here!

❓ Lentil Recipe FAQs

Can I use a different kind of lentils in one of these recipes?

It depends on the recipe, but as a general rule, brown and green lentils are interchangeable. Canned lentils are usually green or brown, so they can be used in place of these lentils in some recipes too – just bear in mind that tinned lentils are already cooked.
Red lentils, on the other hand, have a texture that is quite different from green and brown lentils – they cook down a lot softer, and eventually cook down to mush, which can be really helpful in some recipes. Therefore, red lentils are generally not interchangeable with green or brown. You can read more about different types of lentils here.

What do lentils taste like?

Honestly… not a huge amount. Much like lots of other ‘staple’ foods, like rice, beans, chickpeas or pasta, they don’t have an enormous amount of flavour on their own – but that’s what’s so great about them! Dress them up however you like, with your favourite spices, veggies, or anything else you like.

Are lentils good for vegetarians?

Yes! Lentils are a great source of plant-based protein and fibre. They’re also a great source of iron, and can provide a really amazing base for a healthy vegetarian meal.

Are lentils gluten-free?

Yes! Lentils are naturally gluten-free.

The post Vegetarian Lentil Recipes (Easy + Delicious!) appeared first on Easy Cheesy Vegetarian.

Cheesy Vegetarian

Air Fryer Gnocchi (with Pesto and Mozzarella)

Ahh, gnocchi! Adorable little potato dumplings that taste like little pillowy clouds – soft and fluffy, like little hugs for your mouth. I adore gnocchi cooked with all sorts of flavours, and this easy air fryer recipe involves:

crispy gnocchi cooked in a creamy pesto sauce
roasted vegetables that are sweet and tender
gooey little pockets of mozzarella cheese
a layer of rich tomato sauce to bring it all together

Doesn’t it just sound irresistible?! It couldn’t be easier to make, and the classic Italian flavours are just incredible.

Air fryer gnocchi and vegetables with mozzarella and pesto.

If you’re a regular reader here on Easy Cheesy Vegetarian, you might know that I’m not a fan of boiling gnocchi, and I usually cook it in a frying pan (see my instructions for frying gnocchi!). However, lately I’ve been experimenting with different methods – like baked gnocchi, and oven-roasted gnocchi. This time, I thought I’d use the air fryer!

Why Cook Gnocchi in an Air Fryer?

I use my air fryer several times a week, and I love it. An air fryer is essentially just a mini oven, so whatever you can cook in an oven, you can cook in an air fryer instead (and vice versa) – but it’s a lot quicker when there’s a smaller space to heat up.

Cooking this pesto gnocchi in an air fryer means you can turn it on, leave it to do its thing for a while, and return to perfectly cooked gnocchi. It’s a lot less labour intensive than cooking the gnocchi in a frying pan, and it’s quicker than using the oven. Best of both worlds!

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Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe. See the printable recipe card below for detailed ingredient quantities.

gnocchi – any shop-bought gnocchi will work. I haven’t tested this recipe using homemade gnocchi, but I imagine that would work well too (though you’ll probably need to boil the gnocchi first).
vegetables – I used mushrooms, red onion and a yellow pepper. Any similar Italian-style veggies will work well.
pesto – I used a creamy basil pesto, but use whatever you like the sound of.
fresh mozzarella cheese
tomato sauce – choose your favourite tomato-based pasta sauce, or use your own homemade tomato sauce! It’s worth choosing a good quality sauce for this recipe.

Becca’s Top Tip

If you don’t have an air fryer, you could cook this recipe in a regular oven instead, or in a frying pan on the stovetop.

Recipe Video

Equipment

My air fryer is the Ninja Foodi MAX air fryer, which I really love, and I use it several times a week. I love how it has two separate baskets, so you can cook small or large meals easily. One of the baskets was enough to cook this air fryer gnocchi.

Here’s the one I have on Amazon:

Ninja Dual Air Fryer

I love the two separate zones in this air fryer!

If you’re in the UK or Canada, click the link to see a local product.

A bowl of air fryer gnocchi on tomato sauce.

Printable Instructions

Air fryer gnocchi and vegetables on tomato sauce.

Air Fryer Gnocchi with Pesto and Mozzarella

Air fryer gnocchi, with creamy pesto sauce, gooey pockets of mozzarella, and roasted veggies. This vegetarian meal is so easy!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Diet Vegetarian

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 22

Total Time 32

Servings people

Calories 663kcal

Author Becca Heyes

Ingredients

2 Tbsp pesto (I used a creamy basil pesto)
2 Tbsp water
120 g mushrooms (~ 6 medium mushrooms)
1 bell pepper (I used yellow)
1 red onion
500 g (~1 lb) gnocchi
250 g (~ 9 oz) fresh mozzarella cheese, torn into pieces
340 g (~ 1 cup) good quality tomato pasta sauce

Instructions

Add the pesto and a splash of water to a mixing bowl, and mix well to thin out the pesto a little. This will help it to coat the gnocchi nicely.
Chop the mushrooms, pepper and red onion into bitesized pieces, and add them to the bowl, along with the gnocchi. Mix well to coat everything in the sauce.
Transfer the mixture to your air fryer, and cook at 180°C (350°F) for 10 minutes. Stir the gnocchi, and cook for a further 10 minutes.
When the gnocchi and vegetables are nicely crisped up, add the torn up mozzarella cheese to the air fryer, and cook for 2 more minutes, until the cheese has melted.
Heat up the tomato sauce – I warmed it in a bowl in the microwave, but you could use a pan on the stovetop instead, if you prefer. Serve the crispy air fried gnocchi on top of the hot tomato sauce.

Video

Nutrition

Recipe FAQs

Can I prepare this recipe in advance?

You could easily mix up the gnocchi / vegetables / pesto in advance, then store the mixture in the fridge until you’re ready to air fry, just before serving.

How should I reheat any leftovers?

I generally reheat any leftovers in the microwave. If you don’t have a microwave, you could also reheat in the air fryer or in a frying pan, but bear in mind that the sauce will dry up a bit if using these methods, so you may need to mix in a little water to freshen it up.

How should I serve air fried gnocchi?

This recipe can be served on its own, without any additional side dishes. However, if you’d like to serve something on the side, a simple salad would be a great addition.