It can be so hard to find unique high-protein breakfasts. If you're constantly eating the same breakfast every day, you have to try eggs and lentils for breakfast! It's so easy, plus you can make this delicious and savory breakfast, days in advance.
Lentils are rarely something we think of when it comes to breakfast. They are such an underrated legume and underutilized in meals. We almost exclusively think of them as the New Year's Eve special or a soup.
The white bean lentil soup we make is great but this breakfast dish is so unique!
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Perfect for Breakfast for Your Family
Protein is hard to come by in the morning. Although they have plenty of carbohydrates, lentils are high in protein as well boasting a 50g of protein per cup!
I love warm breakfast and this is easy to make in advance and microwave quickly in the morning. Then you can add your toppings as you please. The soft-boiled eggs are perfect because you can throw them right on top without warming them up!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
Lentils. I used dry green lentils for this recipe. You could use whatever variety of lentils that you have in your house.
Split red lentils are a great alternative if you are looking to get it done faster, but the only caveat is you need to get the crushed tomatoes boiling for at least 10 minutes for taste. Then add your water and split red lentils.
Eggs. Soft-boiled eggs work really well for this recipe because it makes it really easy to make as a meal prep. But I would also do this recipe with over-easy and sunny-side-up eggs. Hard-boiled and scrambled may not pair well with this recipe.
Vegetables. I used peppers, onions, and zucchini. You can use whatever is in season for this recipe. Make it your own! Some other vegetables I would use are broccoli, spinach, and kale.
Step-by-Step Instructions for Cooking the Lentils
Bring the saucepan to medium heat. Add the olive oil.
Stir in the onions, peppers, and zucchini and saute for 8 minutes or until the onions are translucent. It should eventually look like the image below on the right.
Then add the garlic and saute for 1 minute. Spoon in the tomato paste and combine everything. Let the tomato paste caramelize for 3 minutes.
Add the lentils and the basil to the mix. Then pour in the water and crushed tomatoes and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer on low, covered, for 25 minutes.
The PERFECT soft-boiled eggs
The perfect soft-boiled eggs for this lentil dish are jammy and runny. That requires specific timing. Overcook them and they'll dry up!
In a large pot, bring the water to a rolling boil. Use a slotted spoon to lower the eggs into the boiling water. Lower the heat to medium and let the eggs cook barely at a boil for 6 and a half to 7 minutes.
Remove the eggs from the pot and immediately place them in a bowl filled with ice water. Let them chill for 5 minutes.
Remove the eggs from the water and crack at the top and bottom of the egg by lightly tapping on the table. Then carefully remove the eggshells. Cut the eggs in half and set aside.
Pro-Tips
- Soft-boiled eggs can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. I recommend peeling them before you store them. They will become more difficult to peel over time.
- Lentils can be simmered anywhere from 20-30 minutes depending on your preferred texture. The longer they cook, the softer they will be.
- Don't salt the lentils until after they are cooked. It will affect their ability to absorb water and they will be very crunchy.
Additional Toppings You Can Add
This dish reminds me of our roasted grain bowl because it is completely open to interpretation in terms of toppings. The list of toppings is personal and neverending! Here are some possible options:
- Fresh salsa
- Mushrooms
- Bacon or Pancetta
- Fresh chopped tomatoes
- Fresh herbs like chives
- Roasted red peppers or kimchi
- Pumpkin seeds, hemp hearts, or shelled pistachios
The BEST breakfast meal prep (storage and reheating)
This dish is one of my favorite breakfasts because I can eat it for three days in a row. Store the eggs separately from the lentils in an airtight container. Then I can warm up the lentils in the morning in the microwave, cut open two eggs, and slice up some avocado and have a healthy breakfast!
The lentils are versatile! You can also eat them for lunch. Serve them with Italian chicken cutlets, marinated eggplant, or even sauteed shrimp!
FAQs
Yes! It is a great way to add more protein to your diet in the morning! They taste great and they're easy to make. Plus, they won't spike your blood sugar like a lot of breakfast foods will.
Both! It is a combo of complex carbs, high in fiber and protein. This makes it an easy way to balance a diet with carbs and proteins.
Lentils have been shown not to spike blood sugar according to a study by the NIH. This is for a combination of reasons including their high load of fiber and combined protein. When Marisa had gestational diabetes, she would always make sure her breakfast included a lot of protein and fats in combination with any carbohydrates to avoid spikes in her glucose.
Video
The Best Italian Breakfasts
📖 Recipe
Eggs and Lentils For Breakfast
Equipment
- 1 large saucepan
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry green lentils
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 red pepper, chopped
- 1 green pepper, chopped
- 1 small zucchini, chopped
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 cup crushed tomatoes
- 2.5 cups water
- 1 avocado
- 6-12 eggs (1-2/serving)
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 5 basil leaves
- ¼ cup parsley, minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Bring the saucepan to medium heat. Add olive oil. Stir in the onions, peppers, and zucchini and saute for 8 minutes or until the onions are translucent. Then add the garlic and saute for 1 minute. Spoon in the tomato paste and combine everything. Let the tomato paste caramelize for 3 minutes.
- Add the lentils and the basil to the mix. Then pour in the water and crushed tomatoes and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer on a low, covered, for 25 minutes.
- While the lentils are simmering, make your soft-boiled eggs. In a large pot, bring the water to a rolling boil. Use a slotted spoon to lower the eggs into the boiling water. Lower the heat to medium and let the eggs cook barely at a boil for 6 and a half to 7 minutes. Remove the eggs from the pot and immediately place them in a bowl filled with ice water. Let them chill for 5 minutes.
- Remove the eggs from the water and crack at the top and bottom of the egg by lightly tapping on the table. Then carefully remove the eggshells. Cut the eggs in half and set aside.
- Take the lentils off the heat and stir in the parsley and salt. Separate the lentils into bowls and top with soft-boiled eggs and avocado. Serve Hot!
Notes
- Soft-boiled eggs can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. I recommend peeling them before you store them. They will become more difficult to peel over time.
- Lentils can be simmered anywhere from 20-30 minutes depending on your preferred texture. The longer they cook, the softer they will be.
- Don't salt the lentils until after they are cooked. It will affect their ability to absorb water and they will be very crunchy.
- Expect these lentils to be al dente because of the acidity in the crushed tomatoes.
Samantha
Cooked this for dinner, and it was fantastic! I only had fresh tomatoes on hand so I just diced them up very small. Delicious. We can’t wait to make it again. Thank you!
Mariah
Followed this recipe to a T and it turned out like soup.
Vinny
That's really odd. You used dry lentils not canned, right? That's the only reason I can think of why the water wouldn't have been absorbed by the lentils.
Nicola
A great breakfast dish, I swapped the basil for cilantro (local availablty) and it was so good. Can't wait to make again
Vinny
Lentils for breakfast with some runny eggs is such a special breakfast dish. It's perfect for weekend brunch. Enjoy!