Mujaddara Lunch Bowls
Lentils and brown rice make this Levantine staple a fiber-rich packed lunch with about 18 grams of plant protein per serving. I build it around deeply browned onions, cumin, and a cool…
Ingredients
- 1 cup brown or green lentils
- 1 cup basmati rice
- 3 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 medium English cucumber, diced
- 1 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/3 cup tahini
Instructions
- Rinse the lentils and place them in a saucepan with 3 cups of water and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 18 to 22 minutes, until tender but not falling apart. Drain well.
- While the lentils cook, warm 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the sliced onions and cook for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring often, until deeply golden and soft. Move them to a plate, leaving any browned bits in the skillet.
- Add the rice, cumin, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 2 cups of water to the skillet. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the rice stand, covered, for 10 minutes.
- Fluff the rice with a fork, fold in the cooked lentils and half of the browned onions, then drizzle in the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Taste and adjust the salt while the mixture is still warm.
- Toss the cucumber, parsley, and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice in a bowl. In a second bowl, whisk the tahini with the remaining 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and 3 to 4 tablespoons of water until smooth and pourable.
- Cool the mujaddara completely before packing so condensation does not soften the onions. Divide the rice-lentil mixture among four leakproof containers, top with the remaining onions, and pack the cucumber salad and tahini dressing in separate small containers.
- Refrigerate for up to 4 days. For lunch, add the salad and tahini just before eating, or warm the mujaddara briefly and keep the fresh toppings cold for contrast.
Watch the Mujaddara Lunch Bowls cooking video
← Back to all recipes · View full recipe
← Back to 5StarCook home