Marry Me Lentils
Marry Me Lentils
If you’ve spent any time scrolling through recipes lately, there’s a good chance you’ve come across the now-famous Marry Me Chicken. The name alone is enough to pique curiosity, and the promise behind it is bold: a dish so delicious, it might just provoke a marriage proposal.
The original Marry Me Chicken recipe, featuring creamy sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, and tender chicken, became a viral sensation thanks to its rich flavours and ease. You can find the classic recipe here, but today, I want to introduce you to its plant-based counterpart. One, that I hope you might just fall in love with.
Let me introduce you to Marry Me Lentils.
Why “Marry Me Lentils”?
This dish shares some key flavour notes that made Marry Me Chicken famous – Sun-dried tomatoes, creaminess, comforting spices; however, it’s completely meat-free and no less satisfying. It’s super nourishing and it delivers that slow-cooked, soulful flavour in under 30 minutes.
Whether you’re cooking for someone you love or simply want to nourish yourself with something warming and full of flavour, this dish hits all the right notes.
What Makes This Lentil Dish So Irresistible?
At the heart of this recipe is a blend of aromatic toasted spices. Think cumin, turmeric, fennel, ginger, and a good dash of garam masala. These are gently bloomed in olive oil and butter alongside onion and garlic, creating a deeply flavoured base that feels both comforting and complex.
What truly sets these Marry Me Lentils apart, though, is the sun-dried tomato paste. By blitzing the tomatoes into a rough paste and stirring them into the lentils, you add a sweet, umami-rich layer that deepens the dish and echoes the richness of its chicken-based inspiration – but without the heaviness.
Towards the end of the cooking, add in a splash of cream, a generous crack of black pepper, and a handful of fresh herbs at the end, and you’ve got a bowl of something special.
A Little Family Moment
When I first made these Marry Me Lentils, I asked Ava, our middle daughter, who also happens to be vegetarian, if she’d like a spoonful as she walked past. Her sounds and her face said it all. That wide-eyed, wordless reaction you get when something is just so good it doesn’t need explaining.
Moments like that are why I love to feed people.
Cooking Notes & Serving Ideas
These lentils are adaptable. You can use either green or brown lentils — tinned and well-rinsed, for convenience (although you can certainly use dried lentils and cook these first). If you’re dairy-free or require a vegan friendly version, feel free to substitute the cream with coconut cream or a swirl of cashew cream.
Serve it as is, in a warm bowl with flatbread on the side, or spoon it over basmati rice. I also love adding a dollop of yoghurt and scattering it with fresh herbs.
It’s also a wonderful dish to make ahead. The flavours deepen beautifully after a night in the fridge, making it perfect for batch cooking or meal prep.
A Recipe to Remember
There’s a reason Marry Me recipes have taken off. At their core, they’re dishes that go beyond simply feeding us. They nourish, impress, and invite connection. They’re meals to make for someone special (yourself included), and they hold that lovely, rare combination of ease and elegance.
These Marry Me Lentils bring that same spirit……a little luxurious, undeniably comforting, and made with ingredients that are probably already in your pantry.
So whether or not anyone gets down on one knee, I do hope this becomes one of those recipes you come back to again and again.
Because truly, they’re the kind of lentils you just might say ‘I do’ to.
Love this recipe? You might also enjoy:
- Aloo Gobi – One Tray Bake
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A Very Beautiful Olive Oil Cake – Dedicated to my Three Daughters
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The full recipe is just below. I hope it brings comfort to your kitchen. I hope you love it very much.
With love,
Nellie
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Marry Me Lentils
Marry Me Lentils
Equipment
- Heavy-based pot or large frying pan
- Wooden spoon or spatula
- Small blender or stick blender
- Measuring spoons and jug
- Chopping board and knife
Ingredients
- 40 ml olive oil
- 20 g unsalted butter
- 1 brown onion diced
- 3 garlic cloves finely diced / minced
- 1 teaspoon of ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon of ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon of ground fennel
- 1 teaspoon of ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons of ground garam masala
- 1 teaspoon of sweet smoked paprika
- 2 tablespoons of tomato paste
- 130 g sundried tomatoes this is approx. half a regular-sized jar
- 2 x 400 g tins of brown or green lentils rinsed very well & drained
- 500 ml vegetable stock
- Sea salt
- Freshly cracked black pepper
- 100 ml cream or more, if desired
- Freshly chopped parsley or basil leaves to serve
Instructions
- Preheat a heavy-based pot or frying pan over medium–low heat.
- Add the oil and butter and cook the onion for 6–8 minutes, until soft and aromatic.
- Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for one minute.
- Add the ground spices and stir to combine, cooking for a minute or two to develop maximum flavour.
- Blitz the sundried tomatoes using a small blender or stick blender to form a rough paste.
- Add the sundried tomato paste, tomato paste and the rinsed and drained lentils.
- Pour in the stock and season with a little sea salt and plenty of freshly cracked black pepper (around 10–12 twists).
- Cook uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Taste and adjust seasoning, if needed.
- Turn off the heat and stir through the cream.
- Serve topped with freshly chopped parsley.
Notes
Nutrition
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