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This Marry Me Lentils recipe is my latest twist on the viral recipe that we all love SO much! We’re swapping the chicken for lentils for even more texture and heartiness. The same rich, creamy, sun-dried tomato sauce that’s ready in just 20 minutes!
Love lentils recipes? You need to try our Creamy Vegan Lentil Soup as well as our Coconut Lentil Curry and our Hearty Lentil Chili!
Why you’ll love this 20 minute dinner!
My Marry Me Butter Beans is a recipe that we make OFTEN, like at least once a month, and I’m always thinking of new ways to twist it. This might be my favorite version yet!
There’s something about the texture of lentils that just feels so hearty and cozy. I really love them in this recipe! They hold their shape beautifully and soak up all that garlicky + creamy flavor that we all love so much.
Here’s why you’ll love this recipe:
- Just one skillet – minimal cleanup but maximum flavor that all comes together in one skillet!
- Ready in 20 minutes – a TRULY fast weeknight dinner that everyone will love.
- SUPER rich sauce – the added tomato paste deepens the flavor even more than my original version.
- Delicious with crusty bread – perfect for scooping up every bit of the sauce.
Ingredients needed
The ingredients for this recipe are listed fully down in the recipe card but let’s briefly go over the pantry staples needed including a few substitutions you can make as desired!
- Lentils – I typically use canned lentils or packaged pre-cooked lentils from the refrigerated section to make this recipe fast and easy. Their firm texture holds up perfectly in he creamy sauce.
- Olive oil + butter – bothy of these contribute to the rich, flavorful sauce.
- Garlic – adjust the amount to your preferences adding more or less as desired. I like about 4 cloves garlic in mine :) And while I’ve never tried it, onion or shallot would also be great in this recipe if you want to add it in.
- Vegetable broth – the veggie broth bulks up the sauce and adds extra savory flavor. You can add more if you want the sauce to be a little thinner. Vegetable stock also works well.
- Heavy cream – this makes the sauce thick and creamy. You can swap the cream for coconut milk or a dairy-free cream to make it vegan.
- Parmesan cheese – adds most of the savory depth in this sauce! Use a vegan parmesan if you want to keeps this dairy free.
- Sun-dried tomatoes – these are classic to the recipe and part of what give it that Tuscan flavor we all love so much.
- Tomato paste – I added this to my recipe alongside the sun dried tomatoes for an even richer and more concentrated tomato flavor. You could skip it but just don’t.
- Spices – including chili flakes for a little spice, oregano and thyme all round out the flavor with warmth and herby depth.
- Fresh herbs– for serving. I usually use parsley but basil also works well.
How to Make It
Just a reminder that you can find the FULL written recipe down in the recipe card, but I want to quickly go over how to make them with visuals for you :)
- Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat and add in the olive oil. Once oil is hot, add in the garlic and saute for 2 minutes or until it’s fragrant. Add the veggie broth and deglaze the pan.
- Adjust the heat to medium-low, and stir in the lentils, heavy cream and the parmesan cheese to the skillet. Allow the sauce to come to a low simmer for about 3 minutes, then add in the butter, chili flakes, thyme, and oregano.
- Add the sun-dried tomatoes, tomato paste, and season to taste with salt and pepper and let the sauce simmer and thicken for a few more minutes. Serve as is or with crusty bread. Garnish with a sprinkle of fresh herbs such as basil or parsley.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t skip the deglazing step – be sure to scrape up the brown bits because they add a ton of flavor to the sauce.
- Adjust the garlic to taste – of course, you can add more or less depending on how strong you want the flavor.
- Let the sauce thicken FULLY – give the sauce those last few extra minutes of simmering for the best consistency.
- Make it dairy-free – you can easily swap the heavy cream for coconut milk and use a vegan parmesan cheese to make this a fully vegan recipe.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, but since the recipe is built around already-cooked lentils, you’ll need to cook them separately first according to package directions before adding them into the sauce.
Sure thing! Simple swap the cream for coconut milk or another dairy-free cream, use vegan butter, and swap the cheese for a vegan parmesan or nutritional yeast.
A nice piece of crusty bread works SO well for scooping up the sauce. That being said, this would also work well over pasta or rice to bulk the meal up even more.
Marry Me Lentils
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup parmesan cheese, grated, plus more for serving
- 1 teaspoon chili flakes
- ¼ teaspoon oregano
- ¼ teaspoon thyme
- ⅓ cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 cans cooked lentils, drained (about 30oz of cooked lentils)
- 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh herbs
Instructions
- Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat and add in the olive oil. Once oil is hot, add in the garlic and saute for 2 minutes or until it’s fragrant. Add the veggie broth and deglaze the pan.
- Adjust the heat to medium-low, and add the lentils, heavy cream and the parmesan cheese to the skillet. Allow the sauce to come to a low simmer for about 3 minutes, then add in the butter, chili flakes, thyme, and oregano.
- Add the sun-dried tomatoes, tomato paste, and season to taste with salt and pepper and let the sauce simmer and thicken for a few more minutes. Serve as is or with crusty bread. Garnish with a sprinkle of fresh herbs such as basil or parsley. ENJOY!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
