Red Lentil & Quinoa Cakes
These gluten free, vegetarian cakes are high in protein and easy to make. They are moist, dense and go perfectly with a yogurt dipping sauce or aioli. Enjoy them over a salad or as a quick lunch or snack. The quinoa brings a nice crunch to the otherwise smooth and soft red lentils. These cakes are pan fried first, to create texture and set the batter in a cake shape, and then finished in the oven.
These cakes are similar to the ones I learned how to make when I worked in a vegetarian cafe at Google. No matter how well we planned our menus and ingredients, there was always some leftover cooked lentils. We got creative by mixing those cooked lentils with quinoa, spices and herbs and forming it into a small cake or patty. This created a delicious use of leftovers. Now all we needed to add was a tasty drizzle of sauce.
You can do the same thing with your leftover veggies and quinoa in your own kitchen. I’ve given you the recipe and steps for how to make this from scratch without any leftovers, but this is a great way to use extra cooked quinoa or leftover cooked greens like kale or swiss chard. Just replace the spinach in the recipe below. You can even swap out the leeks for yellow or red onion, or sliced scallions. Just give them a quick saute first before adding them to the lentil mixture.
How to Cook Quinoa
Quinoa can be cooked like rice where you add a specific amount of water and cover with a lid and cook until all the liquid is gone. Or it can be cooked pasta style, where you add the quinoa to a pot of boiling salted water, and cook until it’s done, and drain the excess water. I prefer the pasta-boil style so I can cook the quinoa to exactly the texture I want, a little crunchy or completely mushy.
This recipe shows the pasta style method. If you have a method of cooking quinoa you prefer, go ahead and do it the way you feel most comfortable.
Why I Like Red Lentils
Lentils are a valuable source of protein if you are eating a vegetarian diet. They are high in fiber as well as iron, folate and other important nutrients. Lentils are a good addition to your diet even if you aren’t a vegetarian, especially for us women in Perimenopause where we are told to consume high amounts of protein and fiber.
Red lentils get soft and mushy when cooked which makes them great for Dal in Indian cooking or soups like my Red Lentil and Coconut Soup. They taste slightly sweet and nutty. Their high fiber content slows digestion, making you feel full for longer while providing sustained energy.
Key Ingredients
Quinoa - You can use the white quinoa I have used here, or the multi-colored is great too. Just make sure to always rinse your quinoa first, to eliminate the saponin, a naturally occurring chemical compound on the outer hull of the seed. This makes the quinoa less bitter and easier on your digestion.
Red Lentils - these are creamy and soft when cooked and make up the bulk of the cake
Spices - for flavor! Cumin, curry powder or ground turmeric, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper
Aromatics - Sauteed leek, use just the softer white part of the leek. They get soft and disappear into the texture of the lentil cake. If you want a little more texture, then add diced yellow or red onion instead.
Cooked Spinach - adds more vegetables and nutrients and a splash of color
Binders - egg, potato flakes and gluten free flour
What to serve with your Quinoa and Lentil Cakes
I highly recommend this dairy free Tzatziki sauce
Dip these into a Chipotle Aioli. Here is a store bought version I really like, or make your own homemade mayo and create your own chipotle mayo sauce. My recipe is here.
Printer-Friendly Recipe
Red Lentil & Quinoa Cakes
These gluten free, vegetarian cakes are high in protein and easy to make. They are moist, dense and go perfectly with a yogurt dipping sauce or aioli. Enjoy them over a salad or as a quick lunch or snack.
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried red lentils
- 3 teaspoons salt, divided
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 small leek, white part only, chopped
- 1 cup chopped spinach
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ¾ teaspoon curry powder or ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- fresh ground pepper
- 1 egg
- 1 cup cooked quinoa
- 2 tablespoons potato flakes
- 3 to 4 tablespoons gluten free flour (if needed)
Instructions
- Heat your oven to 350F. Place parchment paper on a baking sheet and set it aside.
- Place red lentils in a fine mesh strainer and rinse under cold water until it runs clear to remove any dust or debris.
- Place the rinsed lentils in a medium pot with 3 cups of water and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring the liquid to a boil over high heat then reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid, and let simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the water is absorbed and lentils are completely tender and mushy.
- While the lentils cook, heat a saute pan over medium heat. Once hot, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and the leeks. Saute until softened, about 3 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the spinach to the leeks and stir until spinach is wilted, about 1 minute. Place in a large bowl.
- Add the cooked lentils to the bowl and add the cumin, curry powder, onion powder, garlic powder, 1 teaspoon ground pepper, 2 teaspoons salt. Mix well. If the mixture is hot to the touch, let sit 20 minutes to cool.
- Once cool, add the egg, cooked quinoa and potato flakes and mix well. Form the mixture into small, 2 to 3 inch cakes and place on the parchment lined baking sheet. If the mixture is too wet and doesn't form well, then add the flour 1 tablespoon at at time until the mix is dry enough to handle.
- Heat the saute pan over medium high heat. Once hot, add 1 tablespoon oil, and 4 to 5 cakes, whatever fits without over crowding the pan. Cook until browned, about 3 minutes and flip and brown the other side. Move cakes back to the baking sheet and repeat until all cakes are browned. Place baking sheet in oven for 10 minutes to finish cooking.
Notes
- The gluten free flour mix can be made of half brown rice flour and half tapioca starch or potato starch
- If you don't have potato flakes, just add more gluten free flour mix.
