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Vegetarian, Meal soups and plant based

Lentil croquettes with carrot mash

Lentil croquettes with carrot mash is a vegetarian dish for 4 people, ready in 50 minutes, rated easy, for €1.50 per person. The key is balancing mashed and whole lentils for a tender bite that doesn't turn mushy, plus a breadcrumb coating browned well in the skillet.

Golden, crispy lentil croquettes with buttery carrot mash, kids love them.

Lentil croquettes with carrot mash
Total time
50 min
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€1.50
Calories per person
590 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Winter, Fall
The kids
They generally like it

Under a golden crust of breadcrumbs, these croquettes stay soft inside, where mashed lentils mix with a few whole ones left for bite. Cumin warms the filling gently, onion and garlic build depth, and the buttery carrot mash smooths everything out with its sweet, silky texture.

This is a weeknight dinner for when you want to skip meat without anyone really noticing. Kids like the crispy shape they can pick up and eat with their hands, and the lentil and carrot combination wins over people who usually avoid legumes. It's easy to prep ahead, which also makes it work for a calmer weekend dinner.

The ingredients

4 people

Pantry

  • Cooked green lentilsoften in the pantry 500 g
  • Breadcrumbsoften in the pantry 80 g
  • Cuminoften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Olive oiloften in the pantry 4 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Dairy

  • Egg 1
  • Butter 30 g

Fruits and vegetables

  • Onion 1
  • Garlic 1 cloves
  • Carrot 800 g
  • Parsley 4 sprigs

Allergens Gluten, Eggs, Lactose

The step by step recipe

  1. Peel the carrots, slice them into rounds and cook them in salted water. 20 min

    Poke them with the tip of a knife, they should mash easily with no resistance.

  2. Mash the lentils with a fork, mix in the chopped onion and garlic, the egg, the cumin and half the breadcrumbs.

    Keep some lentils whole for a bit of texture.

  3. Shape into eight croquettes and roll them in the remaining breadcrumbs.

    Wet your hands first, the mixture sticks much less.

  4. Brown the croquettes in oil in a skillet, four minutes on each side. 8 min

    Keep the oil hot but not smoking, otherwise the crumb coating burns before the center warms through.

  5. Mash the carrots with the butter, salt and pepper, and serve with the croquettes and parsley.

    A splash of the cooking water is enough to make the mash silky.

Our tips to get it right

  • Drain the cooked lentils well before mashing them, too much moisture keeps the croquettes from holding together while cooking.
  • Pack the mixture firmly when shaping the croquettes, this keeps them from crumbling in the skillet.
  • Cook the carrot mash while the croquettes rest in the fridge, so everything finishes at the same time.

The variations

  • Swap the green lentils for cooked red lentils for a softer texture, the croquette cooking time stays the same.
  • For an egg free version, bind the mixture with a tablespoon of tomato paste or cornstarch mixed with a little water.
  • To save time, shape smaller, flatter croquettes, they cook in three minutes per side instead of four.

What to serve it with

  • A sharply dressed green salad
  • Plain yogurt with lemon
  • Sparkling water with lemon

Storage

Cooked croquettes keep for 2 to 3 days in the fridge in a sealed container. You can freeze them raw, laid flat before freezing, then cook them straight from frozen with a few extra minutes of cooking. The carrot mash also keeps for 2 days in the fridge and reheats gently in a saucepan with a little water.

Questions about this dish

Can you make the croquettes ahead of time?

Yes, you can shape them the night before and keep them covered in the fridge. The resting step works even better over a full night.

Can you swap out the breadcrumbs?

You can use gluten free breadcrumbs or coarsely blended oats instead. The texture will be slightly less fine, but the croquettes will still hold together well.

Do the croquettes freeze well?

Yes, shape the raw croquettes and freeze them flat before storing them in a bag. Cook them straight from frozen, adding a few extra minutes per side.

How do you know the carrots are cooked enough for the mash?

Poke a slice with the tip of a knife, it should mash easily with no resistance. If it's still firm, cook a few more minutes before draining.

How long does it take to make lentil croquettes with carrot mash?

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

How many calories are in lentil croquettes with carrot mash?

About 590 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 lentil croquettes with carrot mash cost?

About €1.50 per serving, or €6.00 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

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

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