Lighten up with this Mediterranean Lentils and Rice dish. It is topped with fresh Tomato Cucumber Salad, homemade hummus, and fresh veggies. Vegan and Gluten-Free!
This is the last recipe I'm sharing for the 2018 30 day cleanse!
On Wednesday I'll do a brief recap as well as share some of my reflections, successes, and detours from the past 30 days. If you've been cleansing along, I'd LOVE to hear how it went for you.
After that, we will be getting into February recipes which will swing a bit towards the decadent side as I get ready for a very vegan Valentine's Day. I've got some really exciting recipes coming up; some of my favorites include a Molten Lava Cake, Mushroom Stroganoff, and Eggplant Parmesan. I will also continue to share healthy recipes as well so get ready for the mixture of healthy and decadent easy vegan recipes.
But first, let's take a look at this final recipe for this 30 day cleanse - Mediterranean Rice and Lentils.
Lentils & Rice: A Complete Protein
You may have heard before that lentils and rice are among the few plant-based foods that, when combined, make a complete protein. This means that together they contain the 9 essential amino acids that our bodies cannot produce on their own. While it’s not necessary to eat complete proteins at every meal, it is important that everyone, especially those on a plant-based diet, is paying attention to this.
The good news is that creating complete proteins is not hard on a vegan diet. When combining any bean or lentil with a grain like rice, quinoa, or whole wheat, you are getting all 9 essential amino acids, thus a complete protein, in your meal!
Wanna know more? Check out my article on vegan protein.
Recommended Ingredients & Equipment
Mediterranean food is some of the healthiest in the world. It relies heavily on fresh vegetables, whole grains, and legumes. In addition, healthy fats, such as olive oil, are used in the place of butter or margarine and fresh herbs and spices are used to replace excess salt. In short, Mediterranean food is easy, healthy, wholesome, and satisfyingly delicious!
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Rice - I use Basmati but any long grain rice will do.
- Brown Lentils
- Hummus - Either store-bought or homemade hummus will do.
- Cucumber
- Radish
- Avocado
- Tomato Cucumber Salad - This is a combination of cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, green onions, fresh parsley, lemon, salt, and pepper.
Recommended Equipment
For this recipe, you will need a small pot (for the rice and lentils) and basic kitchen utensils including a chef’s knife and cutting board.
Check out the full list of my recommended kitchen tools and gadgets.
How to Make Mediterranean Rice and Lentils
Step One – Cook the Rice & Lentils
Cook rice and lentils together in a small pot. Bring the water to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer and simmer until the water has evaporated and the rice and lentils are cooked all the way through
Step Two - Make the Salad
The Tomato Cucumber Salad is like a tabouli without the grain. This salad can be eaten on its own or as a side.
To make the salad, chopped the cucumbers, tomatoes, green onions, and parsley. Mix it together in a small bowl and season with fresh lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Step Three - Assemble
Chop the avocado, cucumber, and radishes. Mix up a batch of homemade hummus, if using.
Divide the cooked rice and lentils between 4 bowls. Top with the Tomato Cucumber Salad. Add vegetables and hummus and serve.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.
Serving and Storing
Serving - Serve this meal immediately. This can be served in a pita, with homemade falafel, or as just as it is.
Storing - Store the components of this dish separately. Store the hummus in the refrigerator for 5 days. The rice and lentils and salad can be stored for up to 3 days.
More Healthy Dinner Recipes
- Lemon Pepper Cauliflower Steak
- BBQ Tofu Bowl
- Easy Vegan Pad Thai
- Udon Noodle Stir Fry
- Skinny Fettuccine Alfredo
Mediterranean Lentils and Rice
Ingredients
Mediterranean Lentils and Rice
- ½ cup uncooked basmati rice
- ½ cup uncooked brown lentils, rinsed
- 1 batch tomato cucumber salad, recipe follows
- ½ cup homemade or store bought hummus
- ½ small cucumber, thinly sliced
- 4-6 radishes, thinly sliced
- 1 small avocado, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup kalamata olives, pitted and halved (optional)
Tomato Cucumber Salad
- 1 small cucumber, diced
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 4 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 cup parsley, chopped
- juice of 1 small lemon
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Combine rice and lentils in a medium pot with 2 ¼ cups of water. Bring the water to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer and simmer until the water has evaporated and the rice and lentils are cooked all the way through.
- While rice and lentils are cooking, prepare your vegetable and set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the Tomato Cucumber Salad and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Once the rice and lentils are cooked, divide into 4 bowls or plates. Top with Tomato Cucumber Salad. Add cucumbers, radishes, avocado, and olives then top with a spoonful of hummus. Serve immediately.
Hi, I’m Sarah. I’m a 14-year (and counting) vegan, professionally trained photographer, former pastry chef, founder of My Darling Vegan, and author of the
Miri says
For some reason this site takes a very long time to load via Pinterest adding so I couldn't save the recipe.
Helen Jones says
Would this work as a lunch meal prep? Can it be served cold?
Sarah says
Yes, this would be a great lunch and would taste fine served cold.
Nolvia Sosa says
I love it
Taj Foods says
Nice Article,
This article was great, specially for me because it is healthy food. Thanks for sharing this very delicious recipe of rice.
crystal herndon says
I was super excited to see this as I'm Lebanese and Syrian:). We use flat leaf parsley for this recipe and it works much better for us.