Very Veggie Lentil Bake

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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!

4.92 from 251 votes
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Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 326kcal
Author: Becca Heyes

Ingredients

  • 110 g red lentils (~ 1/2 cup)
  • 75 g white rice (~ 1/4 cup)
  • 650 ml vegetable stock (~ 2 1/2 cups), or 2 stock cubes made up in 650ml water
  • 1 tbsp oil
  • 1 small leek or 1/2 large leek, sliced
  • 1 bell pepper, diced fairly small (I used orange)
  • 5 medium mushrooms, diced fairly small
  • 1 small courgette (zucchini), or 1/2 large courgette, diced fairly small
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/2 tsp 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.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Very Veggie Lentil Bake
Amount Per Serving (1 portion)
Calories 326 Calories from Fat 106
% Daily Value*
Fat 11.8g18%
Saturated Fat 5.3g27%
Cholesterol 24mg8%
Sodium 157mg7%
Potassium 577mg16%
Carbohydrates 39.5g13%
Fiber 10.5g42%
Sugar 3.8g4%
Protein 16g32%
Calcium 210mg21%
Iron 4.5mg25%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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

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

4.92 from 251 votes (126 ratings without comment)

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401 Comments

  1. I made this last night and it was amazing! I could have ate it all by myself. I will definitely make it again. Thanks for the recipe!5 stars

  2. Hi I made this recipe today and to be honest it was the best thing I’ve done with red lentils yet, I’ve got a thing with lentils trying everything I can thanks.5 stars

    1. I believe other people have commented that they have frozen this one successfully – it’s the sort of casserole that usually freezes pretty nicely :)

  3. Yum, thanks Becca. So easy to make as well, just putting all vegetables in at the same time. Im sure I will make it often.5 stars

  4. I absolutely love this recipe. Everything blends well together. I use brown rice and cook it first for about 5 minutes before I add the lentils. Its a favorite in my house. Have to double the recipe each time.5 stars

  5. I agree with you! This is not a pretty recipe, but it is quite tasty. Even my husband liked it. I think the draw is its simplicity and texture.5 stars

  6. Made this for the first time for tonight’s supper – I packed it full of extra veggies and grilled the cheesy top…the one word verdict from my husband? – ‘Delicious!’. He wasn’t wrong – it really was yummy. Many thanks for sharing it…going to look through the rest of your recipes now!5 stars