A white ceramic bowl filled with sauteed lentils and greens, mixed with vibrant wilted radicchio and topped with toasted chopped walnuts.

Serves 4

This sauteed lentils and greens recipe is the ultimate 15-minute skillet meal, combining earthy brown lentils with fresh greens for a deeply savory, comforting dish that comes together in a flash. After all, if there aren’t delicious aromatics wafting through the air, have you even cooked? Shallot, onion, olive oil.. now that’s dinner! 

This method is what I use time and time again with whatever I picked up at the anarchist co-op (ok fine Whole Foods) and whatever beans I have burning a hole in my cupboard.

One of my favorite healthy combinations is lentils sauteed with fresh greens. So try this recipe with spinach, arugula or chard. Or just go ahead and try it with dandelion greens like the goddam recipe says. It takes only 15 minutes or so (if your lentils are cooked ahead of time or from a can) and it tastes like it took 20. At least.

This sauteed lentils and greens recipe is from I Can Cook Vegan.

The Secret to the Best Sauteed Lentils and Greens Sauce

There’s a hidden gem to be learned in this simple recipe. If you cook the nutritional yeast for a minute with the shallot and stuff it gets a deep toasty flavor like a roux! It makes it taste extra special and thickens the sauce, too. So much winning.

Balancing the Flavors

What makes this combination work so well is the contrast between the ingredients. Dandelion greens and radicchio carry a distinct, sharp bitterness that completely transforms when cooked down.

By tossing them in a rich, savory broth deglazed with dry white wine and nutritional yeast, you mellow that bite significantly.

Finishing the dish with the buttery crunch of toasted walnuts creates the perfect balance of textures and flavors, making every single bite deeply satisfying.

More Lentil Recipes to Try:

Mushroom Lentil Noodle Soup
An easy, hearty vegan noodle soup with cremini mushrooms, brown lentils, and cavatappi pasta
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Mushroom Lentil Noodle Soup
Lentil Sloppy Joes
Vegan lentil sloppy joes with tomato sauce, chili powder, maple syrup, and mustard
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Vegan lentil sloppy joes. Quick, easy, iconic and delicious!
Ancho Lentil Tacos
Smoky, spicy lentils cooked down with ancho chile, tomato paste, and hot sauce until they thick-whip together like ground meat
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Lentil taco meat

Sauteed Lentils & Greens

Isa Chandra
This easy sauteed lentils and greens recipe takes just 15 minutes. It's a fast, garlic-infused skillet meal that's perfect for weeknights.
5 from 1 vote
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Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 cup walnuts
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 cup shallot thinly sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
  • Fresh black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • 1/4 cup dry white wine
  • 1/2 cup vegetable broth
  • 1 large bunch dandelion greens
  • 1 1/2 cups cooked brown or green lentils
  • 2 cups radicchio thinly sliced

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350 F. Spread walnuts onto a small baking tray and toast for about 10 minutes. Remove from oven, let cool, and roughly chop. In the meantime, proceed with the rest of the recipe. 
  • Preheat a large pan over medium heat. Saute shallots in olive oil with a pinch of salt until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, tarragon and black pepper and saute another minute.
  • Add nutritional yeast and stir with a wooden spatula to toast for about 1 minute. Add white wine and to deglaze the pan. Let cook for about 3 minutes.
  • Add vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Add the greens and cook down for about 5 minutes. Add the lentils and toss to heat through.
  • Serve these sauteed lentils and greens hot, topped with the toasted, chopped walnuts!
Keyword 15 minute lentil recipe, easy sauteed lentils, lentils and greens, sauteed lentils and greens
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