Creamy Sundried Tomato Lentils: Easy Dinner
Creamy Sundried Tomato Lentils is the ultimate easy dinner recipe. After making this many times, I’ve discovered the trick to the creamiest lentils without any dairy. This cozy dish is perfect for busy weeknights and comes together in just 30 minutes. Jump to the recipe card or keep reading for my best tips. If you love recipes like this, you’ll also enjoy Easy Crockpot Garlic Parmesan Chicken and Potatoes and Fresh Italian Pasta Salad with Mozzarella and Veggies.
Why This Creamy Sundried Tomato Lentils: Easy Dinner Is Pure Comfort
- Perfect for busy weeknights
- Packed with protein and fiber
- Creamy without any dairy
- Better than takeout
What You'll Need for Creamy Sundried Tomato Lentils: Easy Dinner
Choosing the right ingredients makes a big difference, but this recipe is forgiving enough to work with what you have.
- 1 cup green lentils
- 1 onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- 1 jar sundried tomatoes
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- Optional: Fresh parsley
- Optional: Crumbled feta cheese
📝 Ingredient Notes
- green lentils: Make sure to rinse them before cooking.
🛒 Tools & Equipment I Recommend
- Instant Pot — Saves time and energy → See on Amazon
- Immersion Blender — Makes blending easy → See on Amazon
How to Make Creamy Sundried Tomato Lentils: Easy Dinner
- Cook Lentils: Rinse lentils and combine with diced onion, minced garlic, diced tomatoes, sundried tomatoes, cumin, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, and tomato paste. Cook until lentils are tender.
- Blend: Use an immersion blender to blend half of the lentils until creamy. This is the secret to a creamy lentil dish without any dairy.
- Serve: Serve hot, topped with fresh parsley and crumbled feta cheese if desired.
Cook's Tips for Perfect Creamy Sundried Tomato Lentils: Easy Dinner
- Common mistake and fix: Don't overcook the lentils. They can become mushy and lose their texture. To prevent this, cook them until they're just tender and then blend half of them for creaminess.
- Tip: For a thicker lentil dish, cook the lentils uncovered. For a soupier dish, cook them covered.
- Tip: To make this dish ahead, cook the lentils and blend them. Store in the fridge until ready to serve. Then, just reheat and top with fresh parsley and feta.
Storing & Reheating Creamy Sundried Tomato Lentils: Easy Dinner
Short-Term Storage
Store in an airtight container in the fridge. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Make-ahead tip: This dish can be made ahead and reheated.
Freezing Creamy Sundried Tomato Lentils: Easy Dinner
Freeze leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
How to Reheat Without Drying It Out
Oven: Reheat in the oven at 350°F (180°C) for 10-15 minutes. Microwave: Reheat in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, stirring halfway through.
Recipe Notes
- Chef tip: For a spicier dish, add a pinch of red pepper flakes or a diced jalapeño pepper.
- Best substitution: Instead of sundried tomatoes, you can use sun-dried tomato paste or fresh tomatoes.
- Make-ahead: This dish can be made ahead and reheated. See storage notes for details.
- Scaling: This recipe can be easily doubled or halved depending on how many servings you need.
- Troubleshooting: If your lentils are not tender after cooking, add more water and cook for a few more minutes.
Want to level up this recipe?
High-quality knife set — Makes prep work faster and easier → Check price on Amazon
Creamy Sundried Tomato Lentils: Easy Dinner
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 1 cup green lentils
- 1 onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- 1 jar sundried tomatoes
Seasonings
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
Optional Toppings
- Fresh parsley
- Crumbled feta cheese
Instructions
- Cook Lentils: Rinse lentils and combine with diced onion, minced garlic, diced tomatoes, sundried tomatoes, cumin, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, and tomato paste. Cook until lentils are tender.
- Blend: Use an immersion blender to blend half of the lentils until creamy. This is the secret to a creamy lentil dish without any dairy.
- Serve: Serve hot, topped with fresh parsley and crumbled feta cheese if desired.
Notes
- Chef tip: For a spicier dish, add a pinch of red pepper flakes or a diced jalapeño pepper.
- Best substitution: Instead of sundried tomatoes, you can use sun-dried tomato paste or fresh tomatoes.
- Make-ahead: This dish can be made ahead and reheated. See storage notes for details.
- Scaling: This recipe can be easily doubled or halved depending on how many servings you need.
- Troubleshooting: If your lentils are not tender after cooking, add more water and cook for a few more minutes.
Storage
- Fridge: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Freezer: Freeze leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
- Oven reheat: Reheat in the oven at 350°F (180°C) for 10-15 minutes.
- Microwave reheat: Reheat in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, stirring halfway through.
- Make ahead: This dish can be made ahead and reheated.
Nutrition Per Serving
- Calories: 350
- Protein: 18g
- Fat: 6g
- Carbs: 50g
- Fiber: 15g
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 700mg
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Sat. Fat: 1g
Nutritional values are estimates only. Actual values may vary by brand and portion size.
Creamy Sundried Tomato Lentils: Easy Dinner FAQs
Yes, you can make this dish ahead. Cook the lentils and blend them. Store in the fridge until ready to serve. Then, just reheat and top with fresh parsley and feta.
If your lentils are dry, it's likely because they were overcooked or not blended enough. To prevent this, cook the lentils until they're just tender and blend half of them for creaminess.
Yes, you can freeze this dish for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Yes, you can make this dish in the Instant Pot. Cook on high pressure for 8 minutes, followed by a natural release.
Instead of sundried tomatoes, you can use sun-dried tomato paste or fresh tomatoes.
A Warm Final Note
I can’t wait for you to try Creamy Sundried Tomato Lentils: Easy Dinner and see how effortlessly it comes together. When you make it, pop back here and leave a rating or share how it turned out — I love hearing from you!
