This recipe Korean Lentils Rice Bowl with cabbage & carrots transforms lentils into such a flavorful dish that is a little bit sweet, a little bit salty and a LOT of yum! It’s also quick and easy with the lentils going into one pot and the cabbage and carrots easily roasting in the oven. Combine into a rice plate or bowl for a delicious and healthful Korean dinner.
My relationship with lentils is a new one, but after developing this week’s meal kit plan with lentils as the star, I have truly developed a love for these little guys. The truth is, I never really ate them and definitely never cooked with them before. There was no particular reason, I just never grew up eating them, was never a vegetarian, and frankly never thought they were going to be that tasty. But then my husband, Dave, decided to be a vegetarian for 30days. He listened to Matt Cutts’ Ted Talk, Try Something new for 30 Days, where Matt talked about how to slow down life to better enjoy it and one way to do that was to tackle 30-day-challenges for yourself. Now, Dave has been a happy meat eater all his life and has never gone on any sort of diet restriction – ever – so this was truly an exercise in discipline. I, as the loving and supportive wife, started cooking vegetarian and this is how we welcomed lentils into our kitchen and into our lives.
Ok, so Lentils are not just a vegetarian staple, they are actually VERY versatile and very healthful. They have high levels of soluble fiber, so they are important for helping keep cholesterol low, supporting heart health and they great for digestive health. Lentils are also high in protein, and a good source of iron.
If you are a newcomer to the world of lentils, try these delicious Korean Lentils recipe and I promise, you will be Loving Lentils too!
Enjoy!
Carrie, TalkingMeals

Korean Lentils with Cabbage & Carrots Rice Bowl
Ingredients
- ¼ Cup + 1 Tbls. Soy Sauce
- 2 Tablespoons Honey
- 2 Cloves of Garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon ground Ginger
- 2 Teaspoon Sesame Oil
- ½ Teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- 1 Tbls Olive Oil
- 1 Cup red Lentils
- 3 Scallions/Green Onions chopped
- 1 Tbls Sesame Seeds
- 1 ½ Cups red cabbage shredded
- 1 ½ cups shredded carrots
- 1 cup uncooked rice
Instructions
-
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
-
Cook 1 cup raw rice according to package instructions.
-
Place shredded cabbage on a sheet pan, drizzle with 1 tsp. sesame oil, salt, pepper, then toss to coat and push to 1 half of the pan. In the other half of the pan, place the shredded carrots with 1 tbls soy sauce and 1 teaspoon olive oil, then toss to combine. Roast for 20 minutes.
-
In a medium bow, mix together all the sauce ingredients: 2 cups water, ¼ cup soy sauce, 1 Tbls. honey, minced garlic, 1 tsp. ginger, 1 tsp. sesame oil, ½ tsp. red pepper flakes.
-
Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat, then add the onion and sauté for a few minutes until the onion softens and begins to brown. Now add the lentils and the sauce. Cover and simmer until the lentils are cooked and tender, and most of the liquid is absorbed, about 10-15 minutes.
-
Serve by spooning over rice, and garnishing with the green onions and sesame seeds.
[…] Korean Lentils with cabbage & carrots rice bowl […]