Warm spices, tender lentils and fluffy brown rice come together with browned onions and roasted cauliflower for a dish that’s as nourishing as it is delicious. Serve it as a side dish or vegetarian entrée.
Let’s be real—some nights you want a five-star meal, and other nights you’re eating cereal out of the box. This brown rice with lentils and roasted cauliflower sits somewhere in the middle: delicious enough to impress yourself, but easy enough that you won’t accidentally set off your smoke alarm.
The mix of warm spices, crispy cauliflower, and hearty lentils is so satisfying, you might just forget that you were considering ordering takeout (again). Bonus: it makes amazing leftovers! It works as a meatless main dish or as a hearty side dish.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Lentils: Brown or green lentils. Do not use red lentils in this recipe. The cook time required for the rice will turn red lentils to mush.
- Rice: Brown rice, such brown basmati or brown jasmine.
- Vegetables: Use a yellow onion and a large carrot.
- Cauliflower: Cut into small florets.
- Broth: Use vegetable broth to keep this recipe vegetarian/vegan. Chicken broth can be substituted if you prefer.
- Seasonings: Ground cumin, ground coriander, red pepper flakes and garlic for the rice and lentils. Dried oregano for the cauliflower.
- Olive oil: For sautéing the onion and roasting the cauliflower.
How to make brown rice with lentils
See full recipe card below.
- Sauté the onion and carrot until the onion is brown, then add the spices and garlic.
- Add the broth, rice and lentils. Simmer until tender.
- Roast the cauliflower in the oven, then stir it into the rice and lentils.
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Printable Recipe
Brown Rice with Lentils
Warm spices, tender lentils and fluffy brown rice come together with browned onions and roasted cauliflower for a dish that’s as nourishing as it is delicious.
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Servings: 9 Servings
Calories: 191kcal
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Instructions
The rice and lentils
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Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick saucepan set over medium heat. The saucepan should have a lid, which you’ll need later.
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Add the onion and carrot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is light golden brown, about 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic, cumin, coriander, red pepper flakes and salt. Cook for 1 minute.
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Stir in the rice, lentils and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low (mixture should be at a gentle simmer), cover and cook until the rice and lentils are tender and the liquid is absorbed, about 45 minutes. If the lentils are not fully cooked after 45 minutes, add additional water or broth (start with ¼ cup) and cook until tender.
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Taste and season with additional salt and pepper, if desired. Stir in the roasted cauliflower and parsley. Serve it up!
The cauliflower
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Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly coat a small baking sheet with cooking spray.
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Toss the cauliflower florets with olive oil, oregano and salt until coated. Spread evenly on the baking sheet.
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Roast until tender, about 20 minutes. I typically roast for 10 minutes on the middle oven rack and 10 minutes on the lowest rack for better browning.
Notes
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I provide nutritional information for my recipes as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using the built-in recipe card calculator. While I attempt to provide information that is as accurate as possible, you should calculate the nutritional information independently before relying on it.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cup | Calories: 191kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 0.4g | Sodium: 564mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 3g
Disclosure: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
