Description
This Lamb Lentils Rice Spinach recipe is a nourishing, flavor-packed one-pot meal combining tender lamb, earthy lentils, fragrant spices, fluffy rice, and vibrant greens. It’s the perfect dish for family dinners, meal prep, or cozy comfort food nights.
Ingredients
For the lamb and lentils, you’ll need 1 pound of lamb shoulder or leg cut into cubes, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1 finely chopped onion, 2 minced garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon of ground cumin, 1 teaspoon of ground coriander, ½ teaspoon of turmeric, 1 cup of rinsed brown or green lentils, 4 cups of water or broth, and salt and pepper to taste. For the rice and spinach, use 1 cup of long grain or basmati rice, 3 cups of fresh baby spinach, ½ teaspoon of cinnamon, 1 bay leaf, and fresh lemon juice to finish.
Instructions
Begin by heating the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the lamb cubes for 6 to 8 minutes until seared on all sides, then remove and set aside. In the same pot, sauté the onion until translucent, then add garlic and spices and stir for 1 minute. Return the lamb to the pot, add lentils, and pour in the water or broth. Simmer covered for about 30–35 minutes. Stir in the rice, cinnamon, bay leaf, and salt. Cover and simmer again for 15–18 minutes until the rice is tender. Remove the bay leaf and stir in the spinach until wilted. Let it sit for 5 minutes before fluffing and finishing with lemon juice.
Notes
Use room temperature ingredients for better integration, rinse the rice and lentils to remove starch, and avoid over-stirring after adding rice to maintain a fluffy texture. For extra depth, use bone-in lamb and cook the day before for enhanced flavor.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: One-pot cooking
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 generous bowl
- Calories: 460
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 400mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 39g
- Fiber: 8g
- Protein: 32g
- Cholesterol: 75mg
Keywords: Lamb Lentils Rice Spinach, lamb rice recipe, Mediterranean lamb dish, one-pot lamb lentils spinach