Cumin Spiced Lentils and Rice with Every Day Lemon Tahini Dressing

This skillet meal of cumin-spiced lentils & rice couldn't be easier to make! It's flavorful, nutritious, and plant-based.

Prep time: PT10M

Cook time: PT20M

Total time: PT30M

Rating

4.78 stars (40 reviews)

Keywords

brown rice, kale, lentils

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large or 2 small white or yellow onions, sliced thinly
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1 small bunch kale, collards, or another leafy green, stems removed and chopped into bite-sized pieces (about 4 packed cups of greens)
3 cups cooked, long-grain brown rice (1 cup dry)
1 1/2 cups cooked brown lentils (1 can lentils, drained and rinsed, or 2/3 cups dry lentils, cooked)
1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, more to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup tahini
1 clove garlic, finely minced or grated on a microplane
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon agave nectar or maple syrup, optional
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup water, plus more as needed

Cuisine

gluten free
no oil option
soy free
tree nut free
vegan

Steps

To make the dressing, combine all the ingredients in a small bowl or measuring cup and whisk until evenly blended. If the dressing is thicker than you’d like, whisk in water by the tablespoonful to achieve the desired consistency. (Stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, the dressing will keep for 1 week.)
Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet or pot over medium heat. Add the onions. Cook the onions, stirring them often, for about 10-12 minutes, or until they're a nice, golden brown. Add the cumin and coriander and stir; then, add the kale. Cook the kale until it's tender, stirring often (about 5 minutes).
Add the rice and lentils to the skillet, along with the lemon juice. Heat everything through. Taste the mixture and add salt and pepper to your liking. Divide onto plates and top with Everyday Lemon Tahini Dressing.

Reviews

Erika on 2023-12-05 (5 stars):
The combination of flavors in this dish = DELISH. So simple but complex-tasting. Making it for the second time in a week tonight! Learning from my mistake making enough for leftovers this time. ;)
Rachael on 2023-09-08 (5 stars):
Had this for breakfast, Saturday morning no shopping done so really clutching at straws for something tasty healthy that I had ingredients for already , this was fab , while rice cooked I cooked the onion (and three sad mushrooms from the fridge) I have a balcony garden with very productive kale plants so that was easy too!had tinned lentils and a bit of leftover yogurt lemon sauce from last nights dinner. And added a smidge of Siracha on top!! Pimped it slightly I know but honestly so grateful coz I’ll be making this a lot in future !!! Thanks so much
Alice757 on 2021-10-27 (4 stars):
Wow, what a creative, delicious recipe! Never made anything like this before. The flavor is great! My hubby LOVES this dressing. I would like to figure out something else to add to the mix to add more protein or something else to make it a tad more filling. Will absolutely be making this again. Thank you!
Anna Love on 2021-06-29 (5 stars):
This recipe is perfection. So so simple, especially with precooked rice and lentils which I bought. It is cheap, uses few ingredients, but is exploding with flavor. This is definitely a staple for me from now on! Seems like a great base recipe as well to get creative with.
Jenna on 2019-08-19 (5 stars):
Made this for dinner last night and it was SO good! Swapped out half the rice for roasted sweet potatoes and added extra kale. I can see the base of this recipe + the dressing work so well with many different roasted veggie combinations. Happy to add this to the rotation of frequently made recipes in our home :) Thanks for another amazing recipe!
Indrani on 2019-06-18 (5 stars):
Wow, so good and so easy! Especially loved the whip of Tahini sauce.
Stacey Hamblett on 2019-04-22 (5 stars):
Great healthy and easy recipe! I like to place cumin seeds in the oil first to sautés and bring out even more flavor, then proceed with the recipe. And I love adding spinach instead! Yum, thanks!
Molly on 2019-02-28 (5 stars):
I made this last night and it was simple, filling and flavorful. I only had half of an onion so I used that and the white part of about 5 scallions and it worked out really well. I highly recommend serving this with Gena's Yum Sauce but I'm sure it's great with the Everyday Lemon Tahini dressing too.
Shannon on 2019-02-22 (5 stars):
I can't wait to make this! It looks so nourishing and delicious. Thank you for sharing your SNAP challenge experience too. Right out of college, I worked as a nutritionist at a local Food Bank, so the SNAP program is close to my heart.