Turn the humble lentil into a healthy vegetarian breakfast with these kale lentil breakfast bowls with yogurt and fried eggs! Flavorful and filling, these bowls are easy and inexpensive. (gluten-free, nut-free, vegetarian)
You know that moment when you need something substantial to eat but haven't gone to the store in days? When you feel like there are bits and pieces in the fridge, but nothing to make a cohesive meal? That's how this lentil bowl was born. As it turns out, it actually is a cohesive and delicious breakfast bowl!
Why You'll Love This Healthy Breakfast Bowl
If you love lentils and/or anything Mediterranean or Middle Eastern leaning in flavor, you'll love this breakfast bowl! With simple, nutritious ingredients like lentils, creamy Greek yogurt, garlicky sautéed kale, and a runny fried egg to top it all off, this breakfast bowl is full of protein, fiber, and healthy fat - a winning combination for keeping you full and energized. And it doesn't have to be just for breakfast. This tasty vegetarian bowl works any time of day!
Lentils for Breakfast?
You may be asking yourself, lentils for breakfast? The answer is yes! Lentils are great for breakfast in a savory bowl like this. They're an easy and affordable source of plant protein, fiber, iron, folate, and zinc. If you already have some cooked, it makes things even easier!
The Ingredients
- Lentils - Brown or green lentils work best for this recipe.
- Broth - Optional for cooking the lentils, but it makes them more flavorful!
- Red wine vinegar
- Parsley
- Olive oil
- Kale - I like lacinato (or dinosaur) kale, but use what you have!
- Garlic - Fresh is always best!
- Plain Greek yogurt - I love super thick full fat Greek yogurt.
- Eggs
- Salt & pepper
How To Make a Kale, Egg & Lentil Breakfast Bowl
- Make the lentils. Add the lentils and water (or broth) to a saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the lentils are softened. Once they're done, stir in red wine vinegar, olive oil, parsley, and a generous pinch of kosher salt.
- Make the kale. Thinly slice the kale and mince the garlic. Heat a teaspoon of oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the kale and garlic and cook, stirring, until the kale is wilted, just a couple of minutes should do it!
- Place lentils and kale in a bowl. Top with a generous dollop of Greek yogurt.
- Fry an egg or two in the same skillet you used for the kale until the yolk is to your desired doneness. To help the yolk cook faster, you may have to cover the pan. Slide the egg on top of the bowl.
- Top with any additional parsley, salt, pepper, or olive oil and dig in!
Can They Be Made In Advance?
Lentils take a bit of time to cook, so I always make them in advance and store them in the refrigerator. They'll keep in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Once you're ready to eat, just heat them in the microwave or on the stove with a splash of water and continue on with the recipe. I don't recommend doing the rest ahead of time since the eggs are best served fresh and the yogurt may get weepy.
Recipe Variations
- Try adding any other veggies you like, such as sautéed mushrooms, broccolini, or spinach.
- For more flavor, play around with the herbs and spices. Fresh dill, basil, or cilantro would also be good. Try topping with a sprinkle of za'atar, sumac or chili flakes.
- To keep it vegan, leave out the egg and use your favorite plant-based Greek style yogurt alternative.
More Breakfast Bowls You'll Love
- Honey Roasted Acorn Squash Breakfast Bowls
- Healthy Migas Breakfast Bowl
- Pineapple Kiwi Green Smoothie Bowl
- Chocolate Covered Strawberry Smoothie Bowl
Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating in the comments!
PrintHealthy Kale Lentil Breakfast Bowls
Turn the humble lentil into a healthy vegetarian breakfast with these kale lentil breakfast bowls with yogurt and fried eggs! Flavorful and filling, these bowls are easy and inexpensive. (gluten-free, nut-free, vegetarian)
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
- Category: breakfast
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Ingredients
- ½ cup dried lentils (brown or green)
- 1 ½ cups broth (or water)
- 1 cup water
- pinch kosher salt
- 1 tsp red wine vinegar
- 3 tsp olive oil, divided
- 2 tsp fresh parsley, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 leaves lacinato kale, cut into thin strips
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
- Kosher salt
- Freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Prepare the lentils. Add lentils and water or broth to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer, covered, until cooked through, about 15-20 minutes.
- Once lentils are cooked, turn off heat and stir in red wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon of the oil, parsley, and a generous pinch of kosher salt.
- In a small nonstick skillet, heat 1 teaspoon of the olive oil over medium low heat.
- Add garlic and kale and cook, stirring, until kale is wilted, about 2 minutes.
- Divide kale and lentils between 2 bowls.
- Wipe skillet clean and add remaining teaspoon of olive oil. Heat over low heat and crack eggs gently into skillet. Cook until whites are set but yolks are still runny, 2-3 minutes, or continue cooking for firmer yolks.
- Remove eggs from heat and place one into each bowl with the lentil and kale mixture.
- Serve each bowl with 2 tablespoons of yogurt and sprinkled with parsley, salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil and serve.
Notes
- The lentils can be cooked ahead fo time. They'll keep in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Once you're ready to eat, just heat them in the microwave or on the stove with a splash of water and continue on with the recipe.
- Try adding any other veggies you like, such as sautéed mushrooms, broccolini, or spinach.
- For more flavor, play around with the herbs and spices. Fresh dill, basil, or cilantro would also be good. Try topping with a sprinkle of za'atar, sumac or chili flakes.
- To keep it vegan, leave out the egg and use your favorite plant-based Greek style yogurt alternative.
Keywords: lentil breakfast bowl, breakfast bowl with lentils and kale, lentil egg breakfast bowl, healthy vegetarian bowl
This post was originally published March 2017 and has been updated.
Feesu-san says
Please ,is it possible to make it the day before ?
Kaleigh says
You could make everything the day before except for the egg!
Laketa Hendrix says
This recipe was amazing! I love that it was simple and I also love how the lentils filled me! Thanks for posting.
Kaleigh says
Hi Laketa,
I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe. Thanks for stopping by!