Meals don't come much cheaper than this and that is mainly down to lentils. If you love Mexican flavours, but want something other than burritos and tacos, then try out this Mexican Lentil Stew.
I think lentils have a bad reputation as being bland and something that only vegans would eat, but that totally isn't the case. Lentils are one of the cheapest healthy ingredients you can buy (especially if you buy it in bulk) and they take on the flavour of herbs and spices really well, not to mention they are a great protein source.
If you want to be kept up to date on my new healthy and delicious recipes like this, then please subscribe to the blog mailing list (it takes 30 seconds) and you will get sent the new recipes straight to your inbox. Your email address won't be passed on to anyone and you will never be spammed. Click here to sign up
I recently got a huge delivery of lentils and whilst that would fill some people with fear over not knowing what to do with them, I am looking forward to the challenge. I'm going to be sharing lots more delicious, healthy and creative ways to use lentils as they are a must for healthy eating on a budget. I really suggest that you buy them in bulk too, as they work out a lot cheaper.
If you are looking to get healthy on a budget, then a good selection of dried herbs and spices are a must. You will need to spend a bit initially, but then they will last a while and you will be able to give life to budget ingredients like pulses and grains. This Mexican lentil stew makes use of a well stocked herb and spice rack, to really bring the lentils to life and create a hearty and warming dish that is as far from bland as you can get.
It seems to be a theme with a lot of my recipes at the moment, but this one is also really adaptable to use any leftovers you have or any vegetables that are on offer when you go shopping, making it an even more budget friendly meal. You could even make this with beans if you don't have lentils, or you don't like them. But, if you haven't liked lentils before, give this as try as it might just change your mind.
I used leftover lentils that I cooked in bulk at the beginning of the week for this recipe, so it's ready in under 15 minutes. If you are using dried lentils, then the cooking time and measurements will be different.
How to make Mexican Lentil Stew - Serves 2:
Mexican Lentil Stew
Ingredients
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 4 shallots diced
- 4 mushrooms diced
- 250 g cooked lentils
- 400 g chopped tomatoes
- 400 ml boiling water
- 4 tbsp fresh coriander (cilantro) chopped
- 0.5 tsp cumin
- 0.5 tsp garlic granules
- 0.5 tsp paprika
- 4 cherry tomatoes quartered
- 2 jalapeños diced
Instructions
- 1Add the oil to a pan and once hot, add the shallots and mushrooms and gently cook for 3 minutes.
- Add the lentils and stir well.
- Add the chopped tomatoes, water, coriander, tomatoes, cumin, garlic and paprika and jalapeños and simmer for 10 minutes. If it starts getting a bit too dry, add a little more water.
- Serve in to bowls.
Notes
Nutritional Information
Let’s stay in touch!
You can find me on Facebook at Hungry Healthy Happy, on Instagram at @hungryhealthyhappy, on Twitter at @HHH_Dannii or on Pinterest at hhhdannii or you can subscribe via email.
Mary
I love meals like this. Proper feel good comfort type dishes. :)
Dannii
Definitely one to enjoy more in the winter.
Anna @AnnaTheApple
Nice recipe. Love the flavours. Not sure I could persuade Ben to eat it but definitely one for me :)
Dannii
Is he not a fan of veggie dishes?
Jemma @ Celery and Cupcakes
This looks so hearty and nourishing! :-) I love Mexican flavours. Lentils are great for packing out meal and a great budget friendly source of protein.
Dannii
Great source of protein :)
Deena kakaya
Love it when food is as tasty and soothing as this x
Dannii
Me too :)
Kathy
I am saving this for autumn - it will be perfect then.
Dannii
It is good cold in the summer too!
Heather Haigh
I love lentils - so filling and comforting. Nice recipes - thanks!
Dannii
They are so comforting.
Nicki
Mmmm, this looks really good. I have never cooked lentils before, but I enjoy them in curries. I am a veggie, so whenever we go out for an Indian, I usually have something with lentils or beans in it.
Dannii
You should give it a go - they are really easy to cook.
Hillary Amber
I love the addition of feta. Perfect!
Dannii
Everything is better with feta :)
Megan
Yay! Another Mexican recipe. Those are my favourite of yours, mainly because I love Mexican food.
Dannii
Thank you! I am glad you enjoy them.
Laura
I love lentils and like you said so cheap and good for you and also so versatile. I love Mexican spices so this is a great recipe
Laura x
Dannii
Mexican spices are the best!
Selena
What a great combination of flavours. I look forward to try this.
Dannii
Thanks :)
Hayley
Would this be good cold? As with it coming in to summer, I don't tend to eat too many hot dishes.
Dannii
Yes, it is great cold on a salad.
Kenna
Can you add a PRINT function/button to your website? I wanted a 2-page recipe but got an additional 11 pages of comments and advertisements. Thank you.
Dannii
I did have one, but the plug-in interfered with the website, so I had to take it down. The simple way to print a recipe of mine is to copy the section you want and paste it in to a word document and print that. They way you are only printing the part you want :)