Provide your body with flavorful nutrition with these green lentil power bowls. Green lentils, wilted greens, charred red onions, egg and pear slices are all topped with a delicious homemade vinaigrette. Full of vitamins, minerals, protein, and fiber, these bowls fill your body with important nutrients to help you keep your energy level up–and they taste delicious too. The slightly sweet pear slices and charred onions, the tangy dressing, the earthy lentils and greens, they all blend together so beautifully, and the nutritional benefits are a bonus.
Today, I was in need of an energy boost. We have had day after day of cold weather, and though the calendar says it is now spring, it still feels like winter. A bowl of super-healthy, colorful foods was just what I needed to boost my energy level and my mood. I don’t know why I don’t make lentils more often, because whenever I do, I always enjoy them. Though they are not very glamorous, they are one of those very versatile foods that can take on all kinds of lovely flavors, and they pack a powerful nutritional punch.
I adapted the recipe for these green lentil power bowls from a special Better Homes & Gardens publication called “eat to feel good”, 2018. It caught my eye at the grocery store, because all the photos inside are of very colorful, healthy-looking dishes, and I was feeling like I was in a cooking rut. I often get in cooking ruts around this time of year, when it isn’t quite winter anymore, but doesn’t at all feel like spring yet….but honestly, this recipe is awesome for this time of year. Dark, leafy greens, pear slices, red onions, and hard-boiled eggs are all so yummy, healthy, and great in late winter/early spring. I substituted hard-boiled eggs for chicken, and changed the dressing a bit, but I am very glad this “eat good to feel good” publication inspired me to make this dish.
Though it is still cold outside, the sun is bright today. It is so good to see it and to know that crocuses and daffodils should be blooming in the next couple of weeks. I have been hearing the spring peepers when I walk down the road. I love to hear them, because they are one of the earliest signs of coming spring around here. Legend has it that we have to hear them start and the stop peeping three times before spring really arrives. This is the second time I have heard them start up again (the first was way back in February when we had a few unseasonably warm days). We’ll see! When I picked my son up from school today, he said it’s finally warm enough to smell the grass.
“In march winter is holding back and spring is pulling forward. Something holds and something pulls inside of us too.” ~Jean Hersey
It is a time of instability and unpredictability, in the back and forth of the weather and the seasons, not to mention in this country and the world at large. One thing that we can control is what we make to feed ourselves and our families. I find this dish to be a stabilizing force, giving me strength and fostering well-being. If you are in need of an energy boost or are looking for a tasty vegetarian dish, keep this recipe in mind! I hope you all have a great weekend! I will take a bowl over to Fiesta Friday, Angie’s virtual potluck, co-hosted this week by Petra @ Love Food Eat and Zeba @ Food For the Soul. 
Green Lentil Power Bowls
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of green lentils, rinsed and drained
- 1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon of sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper, divided
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
- 5 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 and 1/4 cups of red onion, thinly sliced
- 6 cups of dark, leafy greens, such as kale, spinach, or something similar
- 4 hard-boiled eggs
- 1 cup of sliced pear
Directions:
Hard-boil your eggs and let them cool. Meanwhile, after rinsing and draining your lentils, cook them according to package directions. While the eggs are boiling and the lentils are cooking, make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, sugar, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon of pepper, the minced garlic, and the mustard. Slowly pour in 1/4 cup of extra-virgin olive oil, whisking the whole time. Set the dressing aside.
In a 12-inch skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the sliced red onions, 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Cook the onions for about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they are charred and soft. Remove them from the skillet. Add another tablespoon of olive oil and then add the dark leafy greens. Cook and stir over medium-high heat, until the greens just wilt. Remove them from the skillet as well.
Peel and slice your hard-boiled eggs. When the lentils are tender, remove them from the heat. Spoon the lentils into four bowls. Top with the wilted greens, charred onions, pear slices, and egg slices. Stir the dressing and then drizzle it over the bowls. Enjoy!
Beautiful bowl and a perfect way to welcome spring!
Thank you, Zeba! And thanks for co-hosting Fiesta Friday this week!
This is so much my style. I literally just ate a lentil bowl. The vinaigrette sounds great and I love the pear addition. Spring peepers!! Sigh. Such a wistful sound. The good stuff is coming and this is the perfect dish to welcome it!
Thank you, Amanda! I hadn’t had lentils in awhile, and want to make them more. They are so satisfying and versatile, and making colorful bowls is fun for the eyes and the taste buds. I heard NYC was getting a lot of snow recently. Stay warm! I love hearing the spring peepers. I’m surprised they are peeping with such cold nights, but I’ll take it. 🙂 Take care!
Definitely will be using this. Probably tomorrow.
Thank you, Betsy! I think you would really like this meal. I especially like it because you can mix and match the greens and protein, depending on what you have on hand. All the best to you!
Lovely Jenny – fantastic healthy lunch inspiration!
Thank you, Laura! It is a really healthy lunch, and it gives one a lot of energy in a flavorful way! 🙂
What a great recipe! I need to take advantage of more bowl meals!
Thank you, Debbie! Me too! I like bowl meals because you can fit so many different things at once and load up on nutrition!
This sounds deliciously energizing, just what we need when it is getting brighter and (hopefully) warmer! Great to share at Fiesta Friday 🙂
Thank you very much, Petra!