Louisiana-Style Red Lentils with Brown Rice

2 Servings

Wellness at Blue Apron

Find recipes that suit your lifestyle with our new nutritionist-approved dietary tags.

Vegetarian

These recipes don’t contain meat, poultry, fish, or seafood.* They’re made with fruits and vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds. *Select artisanal cheeses may contain animal-derived rennet.

Carb Conscious

This applies to meal kit recipes with 48g or less of net carbs (total carbs minus dietary fiber) per serving. Carb Conscious Add-ons contain 20g or less net carbs.

Mediterranean Diet

Our Mediterranean recipes are inspired by the Mediterranean Diet, a healthy eating plan recommended in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans published jointly every five years by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS). This eating plan highlights the flavors and cooking styles from countries along the Mediterranean Sea, including those in Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa. These recipes showcase a wide variety of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains, as well as lean proteins and moderate portions of dairy.

600 Calories or Less

These meals contain 600 calories or less per serving. The US Food & Drug Administration uses 2000 calorie daily intake for general advice. The 600 calorie cap equates to 30% of the total 2000 calories per day based on 3 meals per day with 200 calories remaining for snack or beverage.

Wellness Grain

These recipes feature grains such as barley, quinoa, farro, orzo, couscous and more, handpicked by our Culinary team in collaboration with our Registered Dietitian.

Pescatarian

These recipes feature a wide array of nutritious seafood options like salmon, cod, tilapia, crab, and shrimp. While these dishes never contain meat, pork or poultry, they may contain animal derived ingredients such as milk, butter, cheese and/or honey.

30g Of Protein

These meals contain 30g or more of protein per serving, and are ideal for those looking to focus their meals around protein intake.

Keto Friendly

These meals have approximately 10% of calories from carbohydrates, 20% from protein, and 70% from dietary fats (per serving).

45g Of Protein

These meal kit recipes contain 45g or more of protein per serving, and are ideal for those looking to focus their meals around protein intake.

Nutritionist's Pick

These meals are selected by Blue Apron’s Registered Dietitian Nutritionist. They are centered around nutritious and wholesome ingredients, featuring whole grains and fresh produce which provide fiber. They also contain moderate portions of dairy and lean protein while being mindful of saturated fat.

Wheat Free

These meals are prepared with ingredients that do not contain wheat. They feature grains such as barley and rice as well as proteins and vegetables.

Reduced Sodium

These Prepared and Ready dishes contain at least 25% less sodium per 100 grams (or 3.5 oz) than our average Prepared and Ready Meal as of October 1, 2024. Sodium content has been reduced from 330 mg per 100 grams to 250 mg per 100 grams. These dishes focus on ingredients with strong flavor and moderate salt.

Vegan

To view a recipe's full nutrition information, head to your Upcoming page at blueapron.com, click on a specific recipe, then head to the Nutrition tab and select 'View Full Nutrition.' Nutrition Facts Panels are available up to 1.5 weeks in advance

From the Test Kitchen

Let’s celebrate Mondays. This salute to the Big Easy is an update of the classic Creole “Red Beans and Rice.” Traditionally, the dish was served on Mondays, made with the leftover ham from Sunday dinner. Our vegetarian version keeps both the aesthetic and the flavor intact, using red lentils (which are higher in protein than red beans), the trinity of Creole cooking (celery bell pepper & onion) and a lightly spicy, classic Cajun seasoning.

See Plans

Nutrition

PER SERVING
Calories

675 Cals (est.)

fresh

ingredients

¾ cup Brown Rice
3 cloves Garlic
2 stalks Celery
1 bunch Thyme
1 Green Bell Pepper
1 Yellow Onion
2 Tbsps Tomato Paste
1 tsp Cajun Seasoning
1 Fresh Bay Leaf
¾ cup Red Lentils
3 Tbsps Vegetable Demi-Glace
4 oz Baby Spinach

step-by-step

instructions

Cook Along

1 Prepare the ingredients:

Wash and dry the fresh produce. Peel and mince the garlic. Small dice the celery. Remove and discard the stem and seeds of the green pepper; small dice the pepper. Pick the thyme leaves off the stems; discard the stems. Peel and small dice the onion.

2 Cook the rice:

In a medium pot, combine the rice with 1½ cups of water and a big pinch of salt and heat to boiling on high. Once boiling, cover, reduce the heat to low and simmer 25 to 27 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed and the rice is tender. Remove from heat and fluff the finished rice with a fork or spoon. Set aside as you finish cooking.

3 Cook the vegetables:

While the rice cooks, in a medium pot, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the onion, garlic, celery and green pepper and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 3 to 5 minutes, or until softened.

4 Add the aromatics:

Add the tomato paste, bay leaf, as much of the Cajun seasoning as you’d like, depending on how spicy you’d like the dish to be, and all but a pinch of the thyme (reserve the rest for garnish). Cook, stirring frequently, 2 to 4 minutes, or until toasted and fragrant.

5 Add the lentils:

Stir the lentils, vegetable demi-glace and 3 cups of water into the pot of vegetables and aromatics, scraping up any bits at the bottom of the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, 10 to 12 minutes, or until the lentils are tender and the mixture has thickened.

6 Finish & plate your dish:

Stir the spinach into the pot and cook 1 to 2 minutes, or until wilted. Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper to taste; remove and discard the bay leaf. (If you find the lentil mixture too thick, add a little water to thin it out.) To plate your dish, divide the rice and lentil mixture between 2 dishes. Garnish with the remaining thyme. Enjoy!