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These Turkish lentil kofte bowls, are made with traditional red lentil kofte. Store them in your fridge and have them on hand for a quick and easy meal!
I’m sure you guys saw this coming…another bowl recipe. Yup. I might be little obsessed with them. Meals in bowls are all the rage in my kitchen these days! So when I decided to make a recipe for red lentil kofte I of course thought to myself “you know what? this would be great served in a bowl with an abundance of veggies.
Traditionally red lentil kofte are served on lettuce leaves. So consider this traditional gone wild. Not only have we got lettuce leaves in these Turkish lentil kofte bowls, we’ve got beets, quinoa, radishes, and more!
Turkish lentil kofte bowls
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 45 mins
- Yield: 6 servings
- Category: Main
- Method: Cook
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Description
Turkish lentil kofte bowls
Ingredients
Lentil kofte
- 1 cup red lentils
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup fine bulgar
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp avocado oil (or vegetable oil)
- 2 tsp cumin powder
- 2 tsp paprika
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses (*optional but recommended)
- 1/2 cup chopped parsley
- 2 scallions, finely chopped (just the green part)
Bowls
- spinach or lettuce (as much as you like)
- 1 beet, shredded
- 1 large carrot, shredded
- 1/2 cup quinoa (cooked according to package directions)
- 1/2 cucumber, sliced
- 2 radishes, cut into sticks
- kale, shredded
- 2 tbsp hemp hearts
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Rinse lentils until water runs clear.
- Add lentils and salt to a pot with 2 cups of water.
- Bring to a boil then put on low heat with the cover on and let simmer for 20-30 minutes. Turn off the heat.
- Remove the lid from the pot. There should be a little water left, if there is not, add a bit more.( 2-3 tbsp)
- Add in the bulgur, stir together, and let the pot sit with the lid on for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile add avocado oil on medium-high heat to a pan.
- Add the onion and let brown for 2-3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and add the garlic, allowing to cook for another 2 minutes.
- Reduce heat to low, add the cumin, paprika, and tomato paste and mix well. Remove from heat and add the mixture into your pot of lentils.
- Mix together. The mixture should be nice and thick.
- Next add salt, pepper, lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, parsley, and scallions and mix until combined.
- Taste your mixture and adjust if it needs anything to taste.
- Using your hands, roll into 24 balls.
- To assemble the bowls place spinach on the bottom, and all the toppings on the top.
- Dress with some lemon, olive oil, salt and pepper
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 323
- Sugar: 7g
- Fat: 8g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Carbohydrates: 47g
- Fiber: 15g
- Protein: 16g
I loved them, thak you for the wonderful recipe!!! SO easy and — they taste soooo good! Even my 14 month-old toddler ate them 🙂 Are they freezer friendly? if yes, what´s the best way to unfreeze them?
Hi Babs, thank you so much! This recipe is actually one of my go-tos for meal prep day! Love having these on hand for quick and easy lunches during the week. I’ve never actually tried freezing them so I can’t say for certain how they would be. My best guest to unfreeze them would be to just let them defrost on their own on the countertop or in the fridge!
I love this recipe, Jess! Lentil kofte sounds amazing, and I love cooking with pomegranate molasses.
Thanks Nisha! It’s a bit of a hard to find ingredient but well worth it!