• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Healthy Recipes
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Subscribe

Easy Cheesy Vegetarian

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Healthy Recipes
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Healthy Recipes
    • Recipes
    • About
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Vegetarian Dinner Recipes

    Oct 13, 2016 · Modified: Apr 22, 2020 by Becca Heyes · This post may contain affiliate links · 295 Comments

    Very Veggie Lentil Bake

    72.5K shares
    • Share947
    • Tweet
    Total time: 50 minutes
    Servings: 4 people
    4.89 from 137 votes
    Jump to Recipe Rate this Recipe

    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!

    Very veggie lentil bake - this is SO GOOD. Its appearance doesn't do it justice! Vegetarian and gluten-free.

    Note: In 2018 I made an Instant Pot version of this recipe! If you have an IP, you can check out that version here: Instant Pot very veggie lentil bake.

    As a food blogger who needs to come up with new vegetarian recipes on an almost daily basis, I don't often have a chance to revisit old favourites - I think you guys would have a riot if I just posted the same four recipes over and over (...do any of you actually care that much?). But occasionally I just think stuff it, I'm going to repost something I've made before. Because sometimes I just want to. You'll cope.

    Very veggie lentil bake - this is SO GOOD. Its appearance doesn't do it justice! Vegetarian and gluten-free.

    This very veggie lentil bake is basically a revamped version of a really old lentil bake recipe I posted way back in February 2012 (who even remembers that far back anyway? Back when our biggest problem was the impending end of the world... ah, those were the days).

    The recipe was so unbelievably good and the old photos were so unbelievably not good that I thought it deserved a revival. With a new, but equally silly, name. Back then, it was pretty much my favourite recipe in the world, and not much has changed.

    Very veggie lentil bake - this is SO GOOD. Its appearance doesn't do it justice! Vegetarian and gluten-free.

    A lovely reader recently reminded me of this recipe, and I was inspired to make it again. They tweeted me a photo and called it 'absolutely their favourite dish' - colour me chuffed! So just in case you think my own raving about this recipe sounds insincere, rest assured that at least one person agrees with me.

    Of course, since I can never follow a recipe to the letter, even if it's my own recipe, I did make a few minor changes to this version. I made it bigger, for one (it's that good, you'll be happy to have extra), and used slightly different veggies, because I was too lazy to go shopping. It's pretty adaptable - just use whatever veggies you have on hand (I do love a good fridge clearer!).

    Very veggie lentil bake - this is SO GOOD. Its appearance doesn't do it justice! Vegetarian and gluten-free.

    You can skip the cheese if you'd prefer a vegan lentil bake, but it does add a lovely flavour and gives that crispy topping, which is always a major plus. It's not exactly an attractive dish, but crispy cheese goes a long way to making anything look enticing.

    Whatever you put in it, this very veggie lentil bake is a brilliant way to enjoy some of the most simple store cupboard ingredients!

    Very veggie lentil bake - this is SO GOOD. Its appearance doesn't do it justice! Vegetarian and gluten-free.

    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!

    If you've cooked this recipe, don't forget to leave a star rating!

    4.89 from 137 votes
    Print Pin Comment
    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes
    Total Time: 50 minutes
    Servings: 4 people
    Calories: 326kcal
    Author: Becca Heyes
    (prevents your screen from going dark)

    Ingredients

    • 110 g red lentils (~ ½ cup)
    • 75 g white rice (~ ¼ cup)
    • 650 ml vegetable stock (~ 2 ½ cups), or 2 stock cubes made up in 650ml water
    • 1 tablespoon oil
    • 1 small leek or ½ large leek, sliced
    • 1 bell pepper, diced fairly small (I used orange)
    • 5 medium mushrooms, diced fairly small
    • 1 small courgette (zucchini), or ½ large courgette, diced fairly small
    • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
    • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
    • Black pepper
    • 90 g grated cheddar cheese (~ 1 cup)

    Instructions

    • Boil the lentils and rice for 15-20 minutes in the vegetable stock, stirring occasionally. You'll need to stir constantly during the last 5 minutes or so, to ensure they don't stick to the bottom of the pan. Once they're cooked, don't drain the water, but instead continue stirring over the heat until enough water has boiled off for the mixture to resemble porridge.
    • Meanwhile, heat the oil in a frying pan, and add the chopped leek, pepper, mushrooms and courgette. Cook over a medium heat for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft.
    • Heat the oven to 190°C (Gas Mark 5 / 375°F).
    • Combine the cooked lentils and vegetables in a large mixing bowl, and add the paprika, cayenne pepper, and plenty of black pepper. Mix well.
    • Transfer half of the mixture to a baking dish, and sprinkle over half of the grated cheese. Add the remaining lentil mixture, smooth out the top, and finish with the remaining cheese.
    • Bake for around 25-30 minutes, until the cheese topping is golden brown and crispy.

    Video

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1 portion - Calories: 326 kcal - Carbohydrates: 39.5 g - Protein: 16 g - Fat: 11.8 g - Saturated Fat: 5.3 g - Cholesterol: 24 mg - Sodium: 157 mg - Potassium: 577 mg - Fiber: 10.5 g - Sugar: 3.8 g - Calcium: 210 mg - Iron: 4.5 mg

    Nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on your exact ingredients. Please calculate your own nutritional values if you require accuracy for health reasons.

    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @EasyCheesyVeg or tag #EasyCheesyVegetarian!

    Love lentils? There are loads more vegetarian lentil recipes to inspire you here:

    More Vegetarian Dinner Recipes

    • A slice of smoked cheese and broccoli tart being cut on a board.
      Smoked Cheese and Broccoli Tart
    • Collage showing vegetarian mushroom recipes with text overlay.
      40 Vegetarian Mushroom Recipes
    • Mushroom stroganoff in a bowl with rice and parsley.
      Slow Cooker Mushroom Stroganoff
    • Cheesy vegetarian chilli mac in a bowl with sliced avocado.
      Vegetarian Chilli Mac (One Pot!)
    72.5K shares
    • Share947
    • Tweet

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Arzu says

      March 18, 2023 at 7:01 pm

      This is one of my favourite recipes of all time. It's so easy, versatile, and delicious! Thanks so much for thinking this one up.5 stars

      Reply
      • Becca Heyes says

        March 22, 2023 at 9:21 am

        Thanks so much Arzu, glad you like it!

        Reply
    2. Sev says

      March 05, 2023 at 2:06 am

      Loved this recipe … the only substitute I made was swapping the rice for Quinoa …. It was soooo delish…5 stars

      Reply
      • Becca Heyes says

        March 17, 2023 at 9:00 am

        Thank you Sev! Glad you liked it :)

        Reply
    « Older Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Becca! I've been a vegetarian for 20+ years, and unlike most of my other childhood pursuits, I actually stuck with it! I love cooking vegetarian food that's full of flavour, but doesn't take a lot of effort to make.

    More about me →

    As Featured In

    Healthy Recipes

    • Creamy spinach dip in a bowl.
      Cold Spinach Dip (with Greek Yogurt)
    • Mediterranean scrambled eggs.
      Mediterranean Scrambled Eggs with Feta
    • Creamy mushrooms on toast, topped with fresh chives.
      Creamy Mushrooms On Toast
    • Bowl of tarka dal topped with fresh cilatro.
      Easy Tarka Dal (Vegan Red Lentil Curry)
    • A hand scooping creamy cowboy caviar with a tortilla chip.
      Creamy Cowboy Caviar (with Avocado Dressing)
    • Creamy Three Bean Stew
    • Roasted Vegetable Enchilada Casserole
    • A hand squeezing lemon juice over some roasted chickpeas and salad.
      10 Minute Lemon and Black Pepper Chickpeas

    Most Popular

    • A bowlful of rich mushroom bourguignon stew served over mashed potato.
      Mushroom Bourguignon
    • A serving bowl full of crispy roast potatoes.
      How to Make Perfect Roast Potatoes
    • Crispy fried halloumi in a frying pan.
      How to Cook Halloumi Perfectly
    • How To Fry Gnocchi (and why you should want to!)
    • How to Make a Perfect Baked Potato
    • Mexican Bean and Potato Bake
    • A creamy vegetable bake in a baking dish, with a scoop removed.
      Creamy Vegetable Bake
    • 15 Minute Mushroom Stroganoff

    Hi, I'm Becca! I've been a vegetarian for 20+ years, and unlike most of my other childhood pursuits, I actually stuck with it! I love cooking vegetarian food that's full of flavour, but doesn't take a lot of effort to make.

    More about me →

    As Featured In

    Healthy Recipes

    • A portion of vegetarian shepherd's pie on a plate served with fresh arugula.
      Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie
    • 15 Minute Peanut and Sesame Noodles
    • 15 Minute Creamy Pasta Primavera
    • Roasted Vegetable Fattoush
    • Veggie-Packed Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup
    • Sweet Potato Curry
    • Slow Cooker Ratatouille
    • Veggie Burrito Bowls

    Most Popular

    • A bowlful of rich mushroom bourguignon stew served over mashed potato.
      Mushroom Bourguignon
    • A serving bowl full of crispy roast potatoes.
      How to Make Perfect Roast Potatoes
    • Crispy fried halloumi in a frying pan.
      How to Cook Halloumi Perfectly
    • How To Fry Gnocchi (and why you should want to!)
    • How to Make a Perfect Baked Potato
    • Mexican Bean and Potato Bake
    • A creamy vegetable bake in a baking dish, with a scoop removed.
      Creamy Vegetable Bake
    • 15 Minute Mushroom Stroganoff

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About
    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility Statement

    Newsletter

    • Subscribe for recipes by email

    Contact

    • Contact

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2022 Easy Cheesy Vegetarian

    72.5K shares