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Overhead view of marry me lentils in a skillet with a wooden spoon.
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5 from 1 vote

Creamy Marry Me Lentils

This Creamy Marry Me Lentils recipe is an easy vegetarian dinner made with brown lentils, cream, spinach, Parmesan, and sundried tomatoes!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time55 minutes
Course: Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Total Cost: $6.69 recipe / $1.67 serving
Servings: 4 servings (1 cup each)
Calories: 523kcal
Author: Melissa Nolan

Equipment

  • Large Skillet with Lid (or Dutch Oven with Lid)

Ingredients

  • 1 Tbsp sundried tomato oil from jar $0.00*
  • ½ onion small dice, (1 cup, 130g) $0.25
  • 4 garlic cloves minced, (2 Tbsp) $0.24
  • ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes thinly sliced, (packed in oil, 90g) $1.97
  • 2 Tbsp tomato paste $0.16
  • 1 cup dry brown lentils uncooked & rinsed, (180g) $0.76
  • 3 cups vegetable broth 24oz., $0.39**
  • 1 tsp salt $0.04
  • ½ tsp black pepper freshly cracked, $0.08
  • 1½ tsp Italian seasoning $0.30
  • 1 cup heavy cream room temperature, $1.24
  • ⅓ cup frozen spinach thawed and pressed, (80g) $0.30***
  • ½ cup Parmesan cheese grated, (40g) $0.96

Instructions

  • Gather and prepare all ingredients.
  • In a large skillet over medium heat, add the sun-dried tomato oil, onions, garlic, and sun-dried tomatoes. Sauté for 5 minutes until the onions are translucent, stirring occasionally.
  • Add the tomato paste and continue cooking for about 1 minute.
  • Stir in the lentils, vegetable broth, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce to a medium simmer. Place a lid on top and cook for 30 minutes. Be sure to check and stir occasionally.
  • After 30 minutes, add the room temperature heavy cream and thawed frozen spinach. Place the lid back on and continue simmering for about 5 minutes.
  • Check on the doneness of the lentils****. They'll still have the slightest bite. You don't want them to be mushy. If the skillet is getting dry, add a splash of vegetable broth or heavy cream and continue cooking until al dente. Once cooked, turn off the heat and stir in the Parmesan.

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Notes

*I counted this as a $0.00 cost because I used the oil from the same jar of sun-dried tomatoes that I had already purchased and costed out for this recipe.
**I like to use Better Than Bouillon to make broths to keep costs low.
***I always have a bag of frozen spinach on hand, so I made sure to use it for this recipe. If you have fresh spinach (about 4 cups), you can still add it at the end of cooking, just make sure to cook until it wilts, then enjoy!
****I cooked my lentils at a steady medium simmer, and about 35 minutes was perfect for me. Depending on your stove heat level and how tender you like them, they may need a little more time. If the skillet starts to dry out, add a splash of heavy cream or broth and continue cooking until they reach your desired doneness.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 523kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 30g | Sodium: 1613mg | Fiber: 18g