I’m not much of a snacker these days, largely because I just stopped buying snack food. I used to mindless munch away all afternoon, which never made me feel amazing nor enjoy dinner as greatly. And then I realized, snacks are rarely as tasty as dinner. Or as healthy. So I stopped.
That’s not saying snacks don’t have their place. Sometimes a little mid-day recharging is a necessity. And if I were to ever cut bananas and peanut butter out of my diet, my refresher of choice, my life would not be the same. Please don’t do that to me.
These days when I do have a snack, I’m limited to the fruit and nuts I keep on hand. Lately, these lentils too. They’re my newest favorite salad-topper, and mid-day crunch.
When New Years resolutions pour in along the lines of healthy eating, it can be helpful to have pre-made healthy options already laying around. Cut the snack-buying and begin the snack-making, and that way you can watch every single ingredient that’s going into your food. And then you can nosh on handfuls of things you feel good about, too.
These are simple and protein-packed, perfect for when your roommate’s/husband’s/whoever’s Oreos are calling your name. Cookies won’t beat lentils when it comes to how you feel, so no need to feel like you’re missing out on something there. Plus, cookies were so last month.
Feel free to play around with herbs and season these as you please!
Ingredients
- -1/2 cup dried lentils
- -1/2 Tbsp. sunflower oil
- -1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- -1 tsp. red chili pepper flakes
- -1/2 tsp. oregano
- -Salt and pepper, to season
Instructions
- Rinse lentils, then place in a pot. Add water until about 1 1/2 inches above the lentils. Cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a low simmer and cook 18-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400F.
- Drain lentils, and then place back in the pot. Toss with remaining ingredients.
- Line large baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Spread lentils on top in a single layer. Bake for 12 minutes. Stir, and then bake for another 12-15 minutes, until fully crunchy. (Keep an eye on them during the last few minutes so as not to burn.) Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Let cool before storing in an airtight container.
17 Comments
Melissa
January 3, 2014 at 3:57 pmWow – this recipe looks easy to replicate and delicious, too. Thanks for sharing. I look forward to adding it into my recipe rotation this year.
dishing up the dirt
January 8, 2014 at 4:20 pmI love crispy chickpeas and I just know I’d love this recipe as well. Easy and delicious!
Alysia
January 8, 2014 at 4:39 pmWow, I’ve never had lentils like this. I’m definitely going to try this recipe, I’ve been looking for a new way to eat lentils!
Alysia
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Kezfee Bridal Jewellery
January 28, 2014 at 5:44 amDelish! Going to try and make these today 🙂
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Faek
June 7, 2016 at 7:01 amDoes anyone know how long you can store these for?
And how cooked should they be (how soft) in water before putting in the oven? I’m curious as different types of lentils would take different times to cook. Should they be as cooked as if you were to eat them before the oven step, or a bit harder?
Thanks!
Grace @FoodFitnessFreshAir
June 13, 2016 at 10:45 amYou should cook the lentils until tender, as you would if you were putting them on a salad. They’ll last up to two weeks, but are crispest and freshest within the first week of making!
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Amanda O
November 14, 2017 at 10:57 amI made these over the weekend! Pretty yummy! I haven’t dealt with lentils much, and never from raw, untouched lentils. They were pretty good right out of the oven. I increased the recipe WAY up (mostly by accident) so they cooked longer. But I used two cookie sheets, and just kept stirring them around. I used parchment for the first part of the cook time, then once they started crisping up a bit, didn’t find it necessary, so I dumped them off and it was easier to stir them around without them getting tucked under the paper. I think they’d stick to the pan if you didn’t use it for the first part of the process.
My main question is: HOW do you store them? I let them cool, then put them in tupperware. This morning, though, only a few days after making them, they’re not very crisp at all anymore. Any tips?
Grace Dickinson
November 17, 2017 at 2:38 pmHi Amanda,
Unfortunately these do lose their crispness relatively quick. My best advice is to try to store them in a large airtight container where they rest almost in single (or as close to single as possible) layer.
Jan
February 21, 2018 at 11:27 amCould I also check it’s green lentils you are using not red ? Difficult to tell from the picture. Looks yummy