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+ servings

Smoky & Cheesy Vegetable Lentil Bake

This veggie packed lentil bake is pure comfort food with a smoky, Mexican inspired twist! You can personalize this recipe with your favorite vegetables, toppings and cheeses and it always turns out delicious thanks to the incredible mix of spices. It's a well rounded, protein filled vegetarian dinner that is completely stress free to prepare.
5 from 8 ratings

Ingredients

  • 1 large onions, chopped
  • 5 large cloves garlic, crushed
  • 200 g (7 oz) mushrooms, chopped, with stems removed
  • 2 small red peppers, deseeded and chopped
  • 1 small sweet potato
  • 1.5 tsp fennel seeds
  • 1 tsp dred coriander
  • 2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 Tbsp chili powder, Swap in additional smoked paprika if you prefer. I use a very mild but smoky ancho powder.
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 100 g (3.5 oz) kale or cavolo nero, finely chopped with stems removed
  • 200 g (1 cup) dried green lentils, or 2.5-3 cups (700g) already cooked
  • 1 handful fresh coriander (cilantro)
  • 200 g (2 cups) grated cheese, see notes
  • 1 can chopped tomatoes, (400g / 14oz size)

Optional Topping

  • Additional chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)
  • Chives
  • Guacamole
  • Sour cream
  • Chopped cherry tomatoes

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 200C / 390F.
  • In a shallow casserole dish, heat a little olive oil and saute the onions and garlic until softened.
  • Add the sweet potatoes and cook for about 5 minutes before adding the peppers and mushrooms. Cook until the mushrooms are reduced and the peppers are soft. (The sweet potato won't be soft yet but don't worry - it will fully cook in the often, for now we are just giving it a head start.)
  • Push the vegetables to the sides of the pan to leave a gap in the middle. Add the fennel seeds and a tiny bit more oil, and allow them to toast for a few moments until you can smell them. As soon as they become fragrant, add the remaining spices (chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, coriander) and mix it all through the vegetables until they are coated.
  • Add the kale and mix through until it starts to reduce a little. If things get sticky in the pan, add a little water to loosen things up.
  • Add the lentils, half of the cheese (reserving the rest for the topping) and most of the coriander (just reserving a little bit for the garnish) and mix through.
  • Finally, add the tinned tomatoes and mix through.
  • If your pan is not oven-safe, you will now transfer the mixture to a casserole dish that can go in the oven. Otherwise, carry on with the same pan.
  • Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top, cover with foil, and place in the oven.
  • Bake for 20 minutes covered, then remove the foil and bake for another 15 minutes until the cheese is bubbling.
  • Add toppings and serve.

Notes

Cheese - you can cut the amount of cheese down if you don't mix any into the filling and only use it as a topper. Or you can use additional cheese if you'd like to bring in different textures - feta and mozzarella both work beautifully as part of the topping!
Calories: 329kcal, Carbohydrates: 36g, Protein: 21g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 35mg, Sodium: 353mg, Potassium: 906mg, Fiber: 14g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 6746IU, Vitamin C: 64mg, Calcium: 344mg, Iron: 5mg