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My lentil Greek bowl recipe is my absolute favorite RV summer meal. I could probably eat this dish every single day and not get sick of it, but I limit myself to making it twice a week to get some other meals in the mix.
It’s super refreshing and fills me up without making me feel all heavy and lethargic. Plus, it’s a really easy meal to make in my tiny RV kitchen and leftovers keep for days in the fridge. It’s also vegetarian, but can be made vegan by simply leaving out the feta cheese.
Instead of getting the idea for make healthy lentil Greek bowls from a blog or a cookbook, I got the inspiration when we lived in Vietnam of all places. While we were there, I tried to stay away from eating meat at every meal. It’s not that I thought every restaurant was unsafe (ehh…maybe they were), but many of them has some pretty sketchy kitchens and prep areas. I saw a lot of things behind the curtain that would make your stomach turn. So I started seeking out dishes that were vegan or vegetarian, just to give my tummy and paranoia a bit of a break.
I found a Greek restaurant in Hoi An and immediately fell in love with it. Fresh hummus, tzatziki, and delicious lentil and rice bowl. I probably ate it 3 times a week!
The only thing I didn’t like about their version of the lentil bowl was it was basically ALL lentils and white rice, and just a tiny amount of veggies. I would ask for extra veggies, but it always got lost in translation.
I really wanted to start making my own, loaded with more good stuff.
We arrived back in Canada in May and I immediately made an ingredient list and went out to buy everything I needed to make it myself. Of course I tweaked it quite a bit to make it more refreshing and full of veggies. I also made sure I didn’t pick up any complicated ingredients that would make it difficult to prepare in the RV.
I have limited space to cook meals inside the RV, so everything needs to be fast and easy.
The stove inside the RV technically has 3 burners, but when a large pot or pan is one 1 of those burners, the others ones are partially covered, making them pretty much useless.
Everything I make needs to use only 1 pot or pan, cooking on just 1 burner.
As for being husband approved, this Greek lentil bowl passes with flying colors. My husband is a hungry meat-lover man, but doesn’t even realize this is a vegetarian meal. The lentils are so hearty, and the feta is so creamy that I don’t think he’s ever noticed it’s made without meat.
My mother in law was visiting us for 3 weeks and she also mentioned this was her favorite meal I made and she wanted the recipe so she could make it for herself back at home.
I think this Greek lentil bowl will be my go-to healthy RV meal for a long time to come!
Healthy RV Meals:
Greek Lentil Bowls
Space & Equipment You’ll Need
- 2 feet by 2 feet of counter space
- 1 burner
- 1 pot
- Measuring cups for: 1 cup & 1 tablespoon
- Cutting board
- Big mixing bowl
*If you happen to have access to 2 burners, 2 pots will make the cooking time much less, as you can cook the rice and lentils at the same time!
Greek Lentil Bowl Shopping List
- Red Lentils
- Brown Rice
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Spices (I used Mrs. Dash no salt garlic and herb)
- Black Pepper
- Pink Himalayan salt
- Feta Cheese
- Basil or Arugula
- Cucumbers
- Cherry Tomatoes
- White Onion
- Lemon
- (optional) Orange or Red Pepper
Ingredient List
For amounts of each ingredient needed, it depends on how many servings you want to make, and how loaded with veggies you want your bowl to be. For 4 servings I use:
- 1 cup dried lentils
- 1 cup dried brown rice
- 3 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 to 2 tablespoons of spices
- Pinch of black pepper
- Pinch of salt
- ¾ cup of feta
- Large handful of arugula or small handful of basil
- 1 large cucumber
- 1 cup of cherry tomatoes
- 1/8th of large white onion
- ½ of lemon
- (optional) 1 orange pepper
Notes:
I give my husband more of the lentil/rice base and less veggies, while I give myself less of the lentil/rice base and more of the veggie mix.
Sometimes I throw in more arugula if I want it to be more of a salad, and other times I will just use a few leaves of basil if I want it to be more of a lentil bowl.
How To Cook: Greek Lentil Bowl Directions
→ Cook the lentils. Mix 1 cup dried red lentils with 3 cups of water. Bring to boil and then simmer with lid on, stirring occasionally for 15-20 minutes. Let sit with lid on for 2-5 minutes or until all water is absorbed. Put into large mixing bowl and set aside.
→ In the same pot, now cook the rice. Mix 1 cup of brown rice with 2 cups of water. Bring to boil and then simmer with lid on, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes. Let sit with lid on for 2-5 minutes or until all water is absorbed. Put into large mixing bowl and set aside.
→ (If you have 2 burners, cook the lentils and rice at the same time in 2 separate pots to reduce prep time!)
→ Mix in the olive oil, spices, pepper and salt into the lentil and rice combo in the large bowl.
→ Chop up all veggies and add them into the bowl as well. I finely chop my onion into tiny pieces, but leave things like the tomatoes and cucumbers much larger.
→ Squeeze ½ of lemon onto entire mixture
→ For one serving: Put ¼ of mixture into a bowl and add your basil or arugula and top with feta.
Key Nutritional Info
I do NOT care to count calories, carbs or grams of fat when it comes down to lunches or dinners. Instead, I like to check to ensure I am getting enough fibre, protein and servings of vegetables and healthy fats.
This bowl has lots of fibre and protein from the lentils, 3 to 4 servings of vegetables (depending on you mix it) and healthy fats from the extra virgin olive oil. The brown rice and lentils are healthier carbs and will keep you feeling full longer than wheat or white rice.
The cucumbers, tomatoes and arugula bring a ton of vitamins and minerals like: vitamin A, C, and K, potassium, calcium, and antioxidants.
This recipe is vegetarian but can be made vegan if you sub the feta for a vegan cheese or omit it completely.
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