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Vegetarian, Meal soups and plant based

Green Lentils with Vegetables and Poached Egg

Green lentils with vegetables and poached egg is a simmered dish for 4 people, ready in 50 minutes, easy to make, at €1.40 per serving. The lentils cook slowly with carrots, onions and thyme, then each plate gets a poached egg whose runny yolk coats the lentils. The key to success is a well set poached egg and salting only at the end of cooking.

Green lentils simmered with carrots and onions, topped with a runny poached egg, a hearty and wholesome bistro dish.

Green Lentils with Vegetables and Poached Egg
Total time
50 min
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€1.40
Calories per person
490 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Fall, Winter
The kids
They generally like it

Green lentils hold their bite even after simmering for half an hour with carrots and onions. Thyme and bay leaf gently season the broth as it thickens, and the poached egg breaks open under your fork to coat the lentils in golden yolk. It is a dish that warms you up without feeling heavy, simple to remember and easy to make again.

This is the weeknight dinner that comes together with what is already in your pantry, lentils, carrots and onions, and kids love watching the egg yolk spill over the plate. Mon Chou suggests it for fall and winter evenings when you want a complete, inexpensive, meatless meal that needs no side dish to feel satisfying.

The ingredients

4 people

Pantry

  • Green lentilsoften in the pantry 300 g
  • Bay leafoften in the pantry 1 leaf
  • Vinegaroften in the pantry 2 tbsp
  • Olive oiloften in the pantry 3 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Fruits and vegetables

  • Carrots 3
  • Onions 2
  • Garlic 2 cloves
  • Thyme 3 sprigs
  • Eggs 4
  • Parsley 1 sprigs

Allergens Eggs

The step by step recipe

  1. Peel the carrots and onions and cut them into small dice.

    Even dice cook at the same rate as the lentils.

  2. Sauté the vegetables and garlic in the oil for five minutes. 5 min

    Stir often, they should barely color.

  3. Add the rinsed lentils, thyme, bay leaf and enough water to cover, then let simmer. 30 min

    Only salt at the end of cooking, salt toughens the lentils.

  4. Bring a pot of water to a simmer with the vinegar, swirl the water and slide in the eggs one by one. 4 min

    Crack each egg into a cup before sliding it in, it keeps its shape.

  5. Salt the lentils, remove the bay leaf, and serve with a poached egg on top and some parsley.

    Drain the eggs on paper towel before placing them on top.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick French green lentils or standard green lentils, they hold their shape better than red lentils, which break down into a mush.
  • If the broth reduces too fast while the lentils simmer, top it up with hot water rather than cold, so the simmer does not stall.
  • Poach the eggs right before serving, they lose their runny yolk if they sit too long in hot water.

The variations

  • Swap the carrots for parsnips or celery stalks to vary the vegetables with the season.
  • Stir in a splash of crème fraîche or a squeeze of lemon juice over the lentils for a richer or brighter touch.
  • For kids, blend part of the cooked lentils into a smooth puree before topping with the poached egg.

What to serve it with

  • Toasted country bread
  • Crisp green salad on the side
  • Fresh goat cheese as a savory finish

Storage

The cooked lentils keep for 3 days in the fridge in a sealed container. They freeze well without the egg, for up to 2 months, and reheat in a saucepan with a splash of water. Poach the eggs fresh each time you serve, they do not keep.

Questions about this dish

Can you use a different type of lentil instead of green lentils?

Red lentils cook faster but break down into a mush, which changes the texture of the dish. Brown lentils work just as well as green ones, with a similar cooking time.

How do you poach an egg without it scattering in the water?

Crack the egg into a cup before sliding it in, and swirl the simmering water with vinegar added. The white then wraps around the yolk instead of spreading out.

Can this dish be made ahead of time?

The lentils with vegetables can be made the day before and gently reheated in a saucepan. Poach the eggs only right before serving, to keep a runny yolk.

Is this dish good for kids who do not like whole lentils?

Blending part of the cooked lentils into a smooth puree often helps kids accept the dish. The poached egg spilling over the plate also makes it more appealing to them.

How long does it take to make a bowl of green lentils simmered with vegetables, topped with a poached egg?

Count 50 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.

How many calories are in a bowl of green lentils simmered with vegetables, topped with a poached egg?

About 490 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a bowl of green lentils simmered with vegetables, topped with a poached egg cost?

About €1.40 per serving, or €5.60 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains eggs. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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