Lentils are filling, versatile, inexpensive, and nutritious, so it’s no surprise humans have been eating them for thousands of years. This simple edible legume has been traced back to around 8,000 BC—back then, lentils likely helped to sustain people living on the banks of the Euphrates River. Throughout the following centuries, they were eaten by the poor (in ancient Greece), the rich (in Ancient Egypt), and everyone in between. And it’s the same story today. In 2023, the global market reached 16 million tons of lentil production.
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Nowadays, however, lentils are more than just a simple nutrition source. Their many different varieties (including brown, red, green, and black) are used in a wide range of creative, delicious, and nutritious plant-based recipes—as you can see from our list below! The vegan lifestyle is rising in popularity, and this is pushing…