Skip to content

Vegetarian, Northern, Eastern and Western France

Green lentils with vegetables and poached eggs

Green lentils with vegetables and poached eggs is a simmered dish for 4 people, ready in 45 minutes, rated easy, for €1.60 per person. The key to success is cooking the lentils gently and getting a poached egg with a runny yolk to spill over everything when served.

Tonight, green lentils simmered with vegetables, topped with a poached egg that runs when you cut into it, a dinner that just makes sense.

Green lentils with vegetables and poached eggs
Total time
45 min
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€1.60
Calories per person
450 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Winter, Fall
The kids
They generally like it

Green lentils have that tender yet firm bite that holds up through cooking without ever turning mushy. Simmered with carrots, onion and celery, they pick up a deep vegetable flavor that feels warming, and the mustard stirred in at the end gives them a little lift without any real bite. The poached egg on top adds a runny yolk that mixes into the lentils almost like a sauce.

This is a weeknight dish that doesn't need constant attention, you can let it simmer while you handle something else. Kids generally love breaking the egg open themselves at the table, and the dish works just as well on a plain winter evening as on a slow Sunday when you want to cook without rushing.

The ingredients

4 people

Pantry

  • Green lentilsoften in the pantry 300 g
  • Bay leavesoften in the pantry 2 leaves
  • White vinegaroften in the pantry 2 tbsp
  • Mustardoften in the pantry 1 tbsp
  • Olive oiloften in the pantry 2 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Fruits and vegetables

  • Carrots 3
  • Onion 1
  • Celery stalks 2
  • Garlic 2 cloves

Dairy

  • Eggs 4

Allergens Eggs, Celery, Mustard

The step by step recipe

  1. Cut the carrots, onion and celery into small dice.

    Cut everything roughly the size of a lentil, this way the cooking is even.

  2. Sauté them in the olive oil with the garlic, then add the rinsed lentils, the bay leaves and three times their volume of water.

    No need to soak green lentils beforehand.

  3. Let it simmer gently until the lentils are tender. 25 min

    Taste a lentil, it should be soft but not falling apart.

  4. Poach the eggs one at a time in simmering vinegared water. 3 min

    Create a swirl in the water before sliding in the egg, the white wraps around the yolk.

  5. Season the lentils with salt, stir in the mustard, divide among the plates and set a poached egg on each.

    A splash of wine vinegar over the hot lentils wakes them up.

Our tips to get it right

  • Rinse the lentils well before cooking to remove any small debris, but skip soaking, they don't need it.
  • Start checking the lentils around the 20 minute mark, cooking time can vary depending on the harvest.
  • For clean poached eggs, use very fresh eggs, the whites hold together better around the yolk.

The variations

  • Swap the celery stalks for sliced leek if you find celery's flavor too strong.
  • For an egg-free version, just finish with a drizzle of olive oil and some fresh herbs.
  • For kids in a hurry, swap the poached egg for a fried egg, quicker and just as runny in the middle.

What to serve it with

  • A slice of toasted country bread
  • A green salad with a sharp vinaigrette
  • A glass of sparkling apple juice

Storage

The lentils keep for 3 days in the fridge in a sealed container. They freeze well without the egg, for up to 2 months. Reheat gently in a saucepan with a splash of water, and poach a fresh egg right before serving.

Questions about this dish

Can you make the lentils ahead of time?

Yes, cooked lentils keep well in the fridge and actually taste even better the next day. Reheat them gently and poach the eggs just before serving to keep the yolks runny.

How do you poach an egg without special equipment?

All you need is a pot of simmering vinegared water and a swirl created with a spoon. The vinegar helps the egg white set quickly and wrap neatly around the yolk.

Can you use a different type of lentil?

Regular green lentils work too, but keep an eye on the cooking time since they can cook faster. Avoid red lentils, they tend to break down into a puree.

Is this dish good for kids?

Yes, it has a mild flavor that many kids enjoy, especially with the egg running into the lentils. You can also serve a fried egg instead if poached eggs don't appeal to them.

How long does it take to make a bowl of green lentils with vegetables and poached eggs?

Count 45 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.

How many calories are in a bowl of green lentils with vegetables and poached eggs?

About 450 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 with vegetables and poached eggs cost?

About €1.60 per serving, or €6.40 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

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

Cuisine from Northern, Eastern and Western France

See all

Recipes with carrots

See all