Meatless doesn’t mean unsatisfying. Poached Eggs & Lentil Hash is so hearty you won’t miss the meat I promise!
Lentils and eggs create a protein-packed meal for breakfast, brunch or dinner. Meatless and gluten-free too. You could even call this a lentil and egg stew.

Have you tried lentils for breakfast? What a great idea. Foolproof poached eggs are easier than you think. Keep reading for all the ways to poach an egg.
Most households try to incorporate healthy eating into the meal plan a few times a week (or more). Our house is no exception. However, boring food is not an option. It can be healthy, but it has to be tasty too.
We love incorporating meatless meals into our rotation. Quinoa stuffed peppers are a favourite around here. Sardine Pasta is another quick and easy recipe.
RECIPE and INSTRUCTIONS for lentils and eggs are at the bottom of this post.
Eggs are a great way to pack in some protein. We always have hard-boiled eggs in the fridge for snacking. Ready to whip up some devilled eggs or an egg salad wrap.
Have you ever tried Pickled Eggs? By far the most popular post on my blog.
This Lentils With Eggs Recipe Needs:
In this poached egg recipe, I have combined cooked lentils and lots of veggies to create a hearty, delicious meal. If you are looking to cut down on meat, this is the perfect place to start.
- lentils (pre-cooked or canned)
- onion
- bell pepper
- fresh tomatoes
- mushrooms
- spinach
- oil
- Sriracha sauce
- All-purpose seasoning
- salt & pepper
- parsley
- eggs
If you do not want to cook dry lentils, no problem. Feel free to use canned lentils for this recipe.
Lentils are so versatile and budget-friendly too. We enjoy them in so many delicious ways.
Spicy Beluga Pasta Sauce is the perfect meatless sauce made with black beluga lentils. They are also known as caviar lentils. Less common than the traditional red, yellow and green lentils. They retain their shape when cooked, and remain on the firmer side.
Green lentils or puy lentils are another variety. This Puy Lentil Recipe is delicious over spaghetti squash. They work great in Green Lentil Cream Cheese Balls too. A fun and healthy appetizer.
Red lentils are the perfect meat substitute in this vegetarian tourtiere recipe.
In fact, marinated lentils are perfect with these varieties as well. Budget-friendly, versatile and easy to make. Meatless recipes with endless opportunities.
Making Poached Eggs and Lentil Hash
Parts of this recipe can be made ahead of time.
If you are using canned lentils, they are already cooked. If you are using dry lentils, you will have to cook them before adding them to the recipe. Check package directions. They can be prepared up to a few days ahead of time and kept in the fridge till ready to use.
Preparing The Hash
Complete instructions are in the recipe card.
- Pre-cook lentils (or use canned, be sure to rinse and drain).
- Dice up all the veggies and set them aside.
- Heat oil in a heavy skillet.
- Add onions and seasoning. Cook for 5 minutes.
- Add peppers, and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add mushrooms and tomatoes, and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
- Add lentils and Sriracha, and cook for 3-4 minutes.
- Add spinach and cook for 1 minute.
- Remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper.
- Top with poached eggs, garnish parsley and enjoy.
Easiest Way To Poach An Egg
Do you have a favourtie way of making poached eggs? I have tried all kinds of poached egg procedures.
- sous vide method
- egg poacher cups
- electric egg poacher
- poached eggs with cling film (see below)
- muffin tin poached eggs
- in a pot of water with/without vinegar (like I used)
- air fryer method
Since there are so many ways to make that perfect egg, I will let you decide on which method you prefer.
To make these easy poached eggs I used the simple method of a pot and simmering water. No vinegar, no swirling, no “secret” technique. These were the best poached eggs I have ever made.
- Get a pot of water to boiling
- Turn down the heat to just above a simmer.
- Gently drop each egg into the water (I like to break them into a small dish first).
- DO NOT swirl or touch the eggs.
- Simmer for about 3-4 minutes.
- Remove with a slotted spoon onto a paper towel-covered plate to drain.
If you prefer, I have also tried the Jamie Oliver cling film method:
- Place a piece of film over a cup and cover with cooking spray.
- Break the egg onto the film.
- Gather the edges, squeeze out the air, and twist to secure and tie into a knot.
- Repeat for ALL the eggs you wish to cook.
- Place the egg bundles into a pot of boiling water.
- Simmer the eggs until they reach your desired level of perfection.
- Remove from water and unwrap.
- Cold eggs will take longer to cook than room temperature eggs.
- The size of the egg will also determine the cooking time.
- Typically a large egg will cook in 4-5 minutes for a soft-firm texture.
Can you reheat a poached egg? Yes! They are best consumed immediately, but you can store them in the fridge and reheat them.
Simply remove from the fridge, and place in a pot of hot water to heat.
You can also reheat them in the oven. Carefully place eggs on a greased baking dish, covered with foil, and place in a moderate oven (300º F) for about 10 minutes. Worked like a charm.
Suggestions/Recipe Tips
Lentils – cook from scratch or use canned.
Vegetables – mix this up and use whatever you like. Kale is a great alternative to spinach.
Seasoning – don’t like spicy? Use any seasoning you wish. Greek, Italian, Mexican, they all work.
Storage – I would keep the cooked poached eggs separate from the hash. The hash part of this lentil recipe will certainly last 2-3 days in the fridge. I personally would not keep any extra poached eggs.
Be sure to CLICK THE SUBSCRIBE BUTTON located in the TOP MENU. You will get a FREE PRINTABLE and recipes! FOLLOW ME on social media too.
More main dish egg recipes to try:
- Egg Muffin Baked Omelette
- Egg Tacos with Smoked Salmon
- Bacon and Egg Breakfast Biscuits
- Garlic Rice with Fried Egg
- Classic Eggs Benedict
- Spicy Tomato Egg Skillet
Poached Eggs and Lentils
Ingredients
- 3 cups lentils (pre-cooked or canned)
- ½ cup onion (diced)
- 1 yellow bell pepper (diced)
- 4 tomatoes (diced)
- 2 ounces mushrooms (sliced)
- 1 ½ cups baby spinach
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 2 tablespoons Sriracha sauce
- 1 teaspoon all purpose seasoning
- Salt & pepper (to taste)
- parsley (for garnish)
- 8 eggs (poached)
Instructions
- Pre-cook your lentils (this can be done a day or two in advance). If you are using canned lentils, be sure to drain and rinse throughly before using.
- Heat oil in heavy skillet.
- Add onions and all-purpose seasoning. Sauté for 5 minutes.
- Add peppers and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add mushrooms and tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add lentils and sriracha, cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Add spinach and cook for 1 minute.
- Remove from heat.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Top with poached eggs. (Cooked however you like)
- Garnish with parsley.
Natalie
Divine breakfast recipe for the whole family! On of the rare meatless meals we all enjoyed, thank you!!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
I have to say you will not miss the meat in this lentil and eggs dish.
Shay | Lowcalicious
I love poached eggs! I bet that drippy yolk is perfect with this protein packed hash!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
I love the dippy yolks too. Hope you give these eggs and lentils a try soon.
Tracy
What an absolutely delicious, healthy, and hearty breakfast! Definitely need more lentils in my diet!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
I love cooking with lentils. Hearty, healthy, and poached eggs and lentils are perfect for any meal of the day.
Brianna May
This is such a hearty and delicious breakfast recipe! I make it all the time.
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
We love this lentils and eggs recipe for dinner too.
Amanda Wren-Grimwood
Love this recipe. It’s such an easy meal at any time of day and my whole family loves it.
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
I agree, you can enjoy eggs and lentils for any meal of the day.
Robin G.
Great high protein meal, Thanks for the delicious recipe!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
You are so welcome. This meal is protein-packed for sure.
Amy
This was so delicious! I had a lot of lentils on hand and really wanted a tasty way to use them up.
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
This is the perfect place for lentils, enjoy!
Kali Alexandria
This hash was excellent! This is a recipe I will always come back to!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
I love using lentils in recipes. This is a winner in our house.
kushigalu
I love to add lentils to my diet, and this is such a great recipe. Thanks for sharing.
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
Lentils are so easy to work with and delicious too. We love the combination of lentils and eggs for a protein rich meal.
Ramona
This recipe is super healthy and absolutely delicious. It’s going to be a regular for our brunch. Absolutely gorgeous, thanks for sharing this Gloria!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
You are very welcome. Enjoy this lentil and eggs recipe.
Jessica Formicola
I made this eggs and hash for breakfast this morning and it was ah-mazing! Thanks so much for sharing the recipe!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
You are welcome. Poached eggs and lentils are a keeper here too.
Jere Cassidy
We are loving lentils and this recipe is just so good for dinner with the eggs. And, I did not know I can keep the cooked poached eggs in the fridge and reheat them.
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
Poached eggs are such a great addition to any meal.
Becky
Excellent and easy to make. The flavor was amazing. Will be making this again!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
We love this poached egg recipe for dinner.
Jo
Wow I love the lentil hash idea, why didn’t I think of it before! Thank you for this amazing recipe, i’m going to try it soon.
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
Hope you enjoy it as much as we do. It is hearty and delicious.
Veronika
I’ve been cooking a lot with lentils recently! It’s such a great options to make a meal vegetarian! Going to try your recipe soon too!
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
Lentils are a great ingredient to work with. Hope you can get your hands on some of these black beluga lentils. They are amazing.