This easy lentil flatbread will be a hit for you and your family, guaranteed. It’s made with 3 ingredients and loaded with plant protein to boot.
This easy lentil flatbread will soon become one of your staple recipes as it has for me!
First of all, this recipe is incredibly easy AND versatile. You certainly make this into a flatbread (hence the recipe name), but decide to cook it a little bit longer and you’ve just made a cracker. Or a pizza crust. You can also have it two ways by making it into a flat bread today, and then toasting the leftovers tomorrow into a crispy cracker. And the best part is that it’s basically made with lentils and water, that’s it.
TIPS FOR SUCCESS:
- Do NOT blend with the soaking water. It tastes gross. Rinse them and use new water.
- DO keep the container of soaking lentils in the fridge. If you keep it on the counter, it will ferment and smell pretty awful.
- The Silkpat works much better than parchment paper. It’s a good investment that will save you in parchment paper over the years (especially if you’ll be making this recipe often!)
- You can easily use this batter to make stovetop tortillas, which are fun. But if you’re like me and want to save some time and make one big batch at once, baking the batter into a big tray of flatbread wins.
- If your bread comes out not done enough, then bake for longer.
- The size of the pan really matters. You want to spread this out thin so it cooks well and doesn’t come out crumbly.
- If you can invest in a Silpat sheet, it will come out the best. I’ve seen it stick to parchment paper, and if that happens, simply peel it off.
- Store in a bowl covered with a tea towel, no more than the day you make it and an extra day (it dries up fast). I often freshen it up the next morning by putting it in a toaster.
FUN WAYS TO SPRUCE UP THIS RECIPE:
Use the Easy Lentil Flatbread as a BASE, then spruce it up by adding any of the following:
- Add in caramelized onions on top of the flattened batter right before cooking.
- Throw in some caraway seeds to make it taste like rye bread.
- Sprinkle garlic powder and rosemary on top of the flattened batter for a focaccia-like flavor.
- Sprinkle minced chives on top of the flattened batter right before cooking and serve with cream cheese.
- Add a tablespoon or two of Sriracha to the batter and serve with buffalo roasted cauliflower.
- Add a tablespoon of fat-free pesto or a handful of basil leaves to the batter.
INDIAN FLATBREAD
I made another variation of this by using yellow toor dal for the base, then adding in the following: 1/2 tsp each of cayenne, coriander powder, garam masala, curry powder, and turmeric. On top of the batter, sprinkle over cumin seeds generously. Follow the remainder of the recipe and bake as usual. You can top it with hummus and a chutney, or easily dip it into a veggie curry. Yum!
FRIDAY NIGHT PIZZA NIGHT
One of my favorite ways to enjoy this lentil flatbread is my own on Friday nights when I make pizza for the family. I enjoy my own lentil flatbread with hummus, onions, cucumbers, and chili flakes and it’s divine!
CAN YOU CHANGE THE BASE OF THE LENTIL FLATBREAD?
- Sure! You can certainly make this with green lentils: I soaked mine for two days in the fridge and blended up with 1 cup water. The bread is delicious too, the dough is just not as soft as the red lentil dough. And the green lentils makes the color not as attractive as the pink lentils. But in a pinch, if green lentils is all you have, it will do!
- You can also try this with other Dahl pulses, such as ones you can find in an international section of a food store. The smaller the pulse, the better.
WAYS TO USE THIS RECIPE FOR LENTIL FLATBREAD:
- Cook it as the recipe suggests for a softer flat bread. This works really well folded up like a pita and filled with hummus, sliced cucumbers, grated carrots, and sprouts!
- Cook it up a little bit longer than the recipe suggests (or just toast it the next day) for a pizza base. Then, add in tomatoes, grated cheese, olives, and bake.
- My favorite way to eat it is simply with hummus and veggies on the side, crispy and over-baked a little.
This Recipe Works Well With
- Roasted Red Pepper Hummus with Chipotle
- Oil Free Spring Herb Hummus
- Dipped in Tahini Dressing with veggies
- Alongside a summer cucumber salad with herbed yogurt
I hope you enjoy this Lentil Flatbread! Above all, make it your own, experiment, and have fun!
Pin It For Later
Easy Lentil Flatbread
Equipment
- 12×17 cookie sheet (with lip)
- Silpat nonstick mat (or parchment paper)
- Blender
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw (uncooked) red lentils
- 1/2 cup water (plus more for soaking and blending)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp Everything But The Bagel Seasoning (or your favorite seasoning)
Instructions
- Soak the lentils in water overnight in the fridge. Use a larger ball jar or a bowl to do this, as the lentils will expand and you want to give them plenty of room.
- The next day when you're ready to cook them, rinse the lentils well, and add them to a blender (high speed preferred, but a regular blender will do).
- Add in about 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup water (it should come up 3/4 of the way up the lentils in the blending container) and 1/2 tsp salt. Blend on high until smooth. For high speed blenders, this should take under a minute. For lower-speed blenders, this might take a while.
- To bake, line an edged baking sheet (the larger the better – I used a lipped 12 by 17 inch sheet) with a Silpat nonstick sheet (parchment paper works, just not as well), and pour out the lentil mixture in the pan. Spread it around evenly and make sure it’s all a leveled, even thickness (you may have to move the pan around to spread the batter).
- Sprinkle with the Everything But The Bagel seasoning and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes until done. Keep an eye on it – I sometimes prefer to make it more of a cracker type product and sometimes keep it in there up to 40 minutes or more.
Notes
- The size of the pan really matters. You want to spread this out thin so it cooks well and doesn’t come out crumbly.
- If you can invest in a Silpat sheet, it will come out the best. I’ve seen it stick to parchment paper, and if that happens, simply peel it off.
- Store in a bowl covered with a tea towel, no more than the day you make it and an extra day (it dries up fast). I often freshen it up the next morning by putting it in a toaster.
Janet bruno
Just baked the Red Lentil flat bread. First attempt !
I held back a little salt…. next time I will use a full 1/2 teas…..& sprinkle on more seasoning. I left it in oven an extra 10 minutes so it is crispy !
Yummy !!!!
andreea fegan
So glad you tried it, and yes, I love leaving it in the oven too for an extra crispy cracker-like feel. Feel free to leave the recipe a rating, that helps! Enjoy 🙂