These lentil bowls are paired with roasted potatoes, arugula, and tahini dressing for a simple but satisfying lunch that requires just 10 minutes of active time to make!
If you're looking for a way to use up a bag of dry green or brown lentils, I've got you covered! These lentil bowls are made with roasted baby potatoes, arugula, and a zesty lemon tahini dressing that you'll want to drizzle over everything.
If you've visited my blog before then you know that I love making all kinds of bowls for lunch: grain bowls, burrito bowls, and especially these squash and potato bowls. These lentil bowls are a natural addition to the blog and a great addition to your meal plan!
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Recipe highlights
- Requires just 15 minutes of active time to make
- Packed with nutritious whole food ingredients like arugula and potatoes
- Drizzled with a lemon tahini dressing
Ingredients
- French green lentils add a great pop of texture. You can use regular green or brown lentils if you have those on hand, but I don't recommend using red lentils.
- Baby potatoes: I used multicolor baby potatoes but regular golden baby potatoes work too. If using russet potatoes are Yukon gold potatoes, cut into wedges instead of in half.
- Lemon tahini dressing is made using lemon juice, tahini, and coconut aminos. Soy sauce works if you don't have coconut aminos. This is the same dressing that I use on my kale chickpea salad.
- Arugula is tossed with diced honeycrisp apple for a salad component. If you don't like arugula, spinach or mixed salad greens can be used. Any kind of sweet red apple works in a pinch.
- Pumpkin seeds, also known as pepitas, add a pop of texture.
Step-by-step instructions
Start by slicing the baby potatoes in half. Toss them in enough olive oil to coat, then sprinkle with salt. I usually do this directly on a sheet pan but you can also do it in a large bowl.
Place the potatoes cut side down. This allows them to become golden and crisp. I also use this method for my Tofu Steak Dinner recipe.
Bake the potatoes at 425F for 30 minutes, or until fork-tender and golden (similar to my roasted breakfast potato recipe).
Meanwhile, cook 1 cup French lentils in 3 cups water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover and simmer until cooked through, 15-20 minutes.
While the lentils and potatoes cook you can assemble the arugula salad and lemon tahini dressing. The dressing is made by whisking together the tahini, lemon juice, lemon zest, and coconut aminos in a medium bowl.
Add water until it s a drizzle-able consistency. This will vary depending on the type of tahini you use but I usually have to add 3-4 tablespoons of water.
Assemble the bowls by dividing the components between 3-4 servings. Any leftover dressing is great as a dip with panko breaded tofu nuggets and cauliflower wings.
Customization ideas
I love making bowls because they are really easy to customize. As much as I enjoy these lentil bowls on their own, I think they are a great way to clean out the fridge by adding extra veggies, beans, etc. that need to be used up.
Adding extra veggies and protein can also help to stretch these bowls to 5-6 servings. Here are a few of my favorite ways to customize these lentil bowls:
- Add different roasted vegetables to roast alongside the potatoes, depending on the season. Summer vegetables like eggplant and peppers are a great option and in the winter I love adding roasted beets. Roasted asparagus is another good addition.
- Add extra protein with a can of chickpeas or a fried egg. Baked tofu is also a great addition and can be baked at the same temperature as the potatoes.
- Add healthy fats to each serving with half of an avocado or a tablespoon of hemp hearts.
- Add extra whole grains by adding ½ cup cooked quinoa to each serving.
- Extras like feta, quick pickled red onions, and kalamata olives can give the bowls a Mediterranean twist.
- On social media I shared a video of this recipe that uses marinated lentils. This is a very easy way to add a ton of flavor!
Looking for more lunch ideas?
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Recipe
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Lentil Potato Bowls with Lemon Tahini Dressing
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds baby potatoes sliced in half length-wise
- 1 tablespoon olive oil more as needed
- ¾ teaspoon salt divided; more to taste
- freshly ground black pepper as needed
- 1 cup dry French lentils see note #1
- 3 cups water
- 3-4 handfuls arugula about 2 ounces of arugula
- 1 medium honeycrisp apple diced into small pieces
- ¼ cup toasted pumpkin seeds see note #2
For the dressing
- ½ cup tahini
- 1 medium lemon ~3 tablespoons lemon juice and 1 teaspoon zest
- 1 tablespoon coconut aminos or soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 3-4 tablespoons water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425F. On a sheet pan or in a bowl, toss sliced potatoes with olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and freshly ground black pepper, to taste. Place the potatoes cut side down on the sheet pan. Roast at 425F on the middle oven rack for 25 minutes, or until fork tender and golden.
- Combine 1 cup lentils, 3 cups water, and ¼ teaspoon salt in a medium sauce pot. Bring to a rapid simmer over medium-high heat. Cover and reduce to a low simmer. Simmer until cooked through, about 15-20 minutes. Drain off excess water before using.
- Make the tahini dressing in a bowl by whisking together the tahini, the juice and zest from one lemon, coconut aminos, and maple syrup. Add water 1 tablespoon at a time, until thinned to a pourable consistency.
- Give the arugula a few rough chops, then drizzle with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste. Toss to combine.
- Assemble the bowls by distributing the cooked lentils, roasted potatoes, arugula, apple, and pumpkin seeds between 4 bowls. Drizzle with tahini dressing just before serving. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Lentils: Thoroughly rinse and sort the lentils before cooking them. An equal amount of brown or green lentils works but I don't recommend using red lentils.
- Pumpkin seeds: If using raw pumpkin seeds, add them to the sheet pan with the potatoes during the last 5 minutes of cooking time to roast them.
- Leftovers: These bowls can be served hot or cold. For best quality, enjoy within 3-4 days. The lemon tahini dressing is good for up to a week.
- Extra add-ins: Avocado, feta, pecans, and quick-pickled onions are some of my favorite add-ins. You can also add roasted vegetables, a can of chickpeas, or baked tofu. See blog post for more ideas.
- The lentils are delicious when marinated according to this marinated lentils recipe. I just add the marinade ingredients to the cooked lentils and simmer for a few minutes, until hot, instead of marinating.
Solly says
So good, healthy and nurturing, while still being 1. very easy to make and 2. minimalistic and clean in its ingredients, wich I love. For me this recipe really hit the nail on the head. The dressing is really really nice. I added a bit of date-syrup to it cause I like it a little sweet.
I will definetly cook this more that one time 🙂
Cassidy Reeser says
Thank you for the great review! So glad you enjoyed it 🙂