Spinach and Feta Lentil Bowls

By Ali Slagle

Updated March 31, 2025

  • Mark Weinberg for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Michelle Gatton.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
45 minutes
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
35 minutes
Rating
5(1,000)
Comments
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These satisfying bowls are heaped with silky greens, spicy lentils, jammy eggs and salty feta. The fact that all of the components are cooked in the same pot and can be refrigerated for the week is nice, too. The greens are cooked like horta, a Greek dish of boiled wild greens often finished with olive oil and lemon. Using a mix of spinach and bitter greens, like kale or mustard greens, creates a juicy and bittersweet combination. The lentils, dressed with oregano and crushed red pepper, provide a tender base for the toppings, but grains would work, too. And feel free to embellish further with sliced raw fennel or carrots, toasted nuts or a dollop of cottage cheese.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • Salt

  • 1 pound bitter greens, such as kale, mustard greens or escarole, tough stems removed, leaves sliced 1 inch thick (2 medium bunches or 1 large bunch, or use prechopped)

  • 4 large eggs

  • 1 pound mature spinach, stems removed, leaves sliced 1-inch thick (or use baby spinach)

  • 1½ cups green or black lentils

  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano, plus more for serving

  • 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper, plus more for serving

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving

  • 1 lemon, halved

  • 6 to 8 ounces feta

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

60 grams carbs; 230 milligrams cholesterol; 591 calories; 9 grams monosaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 10 grams saturated fat; 25 grams fat; 16 grams fiber; 993 milligrams sodium; 38 grams protein; 4 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Bring a very large pot of salted water to a boil. (The water should taste salty.) Add the bitter greens and eggs and boil for 4 minutes, then add the spinach. Continue to cook until the greens are softened and dark green, 2 more minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the greens and eggs to a fine-mesh sieve to cool and drain; reserve the boiling water.

  2. Step 2

    To the boiling water, add the lentils. Reduce heat and simmer until tender but not mushy, 10 to 20 minutes. When the lentils are just about done, transfer the eggs to a cutting board. Squeeze and press the greens to remove excess water, then transfer them to a bowl and set aside.

  3. Step 3

    Drain the lentils in the fine-mesh sieve. Rinse the lentils under cold water and shake to dry. Right in the sieve, stir the oregano and crushed red pepper into the lentils; add more salt and crushed red pepper until the lentils are punchy.

  4. Step 4

    Add the olive oil to the greens and stir to combine. Squeeze half the lemon over the greens and stir to combine. Season to taste with salt. Quarter the remaining lemon half for serving and slice or crumble the feta. If eating right away, peel the eggs.

  5. Step 5

    Divide the lentils, greens, feta, eggs and lemon wedges among 4 bowls or airtight containers. Drizzle with oil, oregano and crushed red pepper. Serve immediately, or refrigerate in airtight containers for up to 4 days.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
1,000 user ratings
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Comments

Tania L

This works well to make ahead and eat for lunch chilled. I added some roasted sweet potatoes and charred broccoli to make it more of a full meal. I peeled and sliced the eggs the day I cooked them and put on top of the greens. I add feta the day of. They are fine for a few days in the fridge.

laclaire

@Stephanie k when you make it, add the feta at the table. That way, the leftovers don’t have the cheese, which makes reheating hard. To reheat, I recommend either putting the spinach and lentils into the microwave or into a covered pot on very low. Stirring it will turn the lentils into paste. You can also steam it back to life, but that might be aggressive for the spinach.

BrooklynCook

This was serviceable, but incredibly boring, and not at all "punchy." Next time I'm going to try and make an actual dressing with olive oil, lemon juice, cumin, and lemon zest or something along those lines and dress the lentils (similar to BA's kale and lentil salad).

Roberto

Our household found this recipe unnecessarily fussy, and would have ultimately preferred cooking the lentils and jammy eggs and laying them over a bed of greens, with a simple dressing and sprinkled feta (and toasted pepitas).

Barb Prillaman

Hokey smokes, but that yields a lot of food! A half-serving of a half-recipe was all I could manage for lunch today, though I did get the full helping of feeling virtuous for eating relatively healthily. Tasty combination, though I’m a weenie, so I’ll have to dial back the red pepper next time.

Kelly

For a very quick semi-homemade version: In a bowl, I'll add Trader Joe's pre-cooked, steamed lentils with left over rice or sweet potatoes or regular potatoes. Whatever is in the house. Add baby spinach or kale. Or any other veg. A little drizzle of sesame oil. Sirracha or chili oil. Into the microwave it goes for 2 minutes. I add crushed peanuts and then voila. If I'm fancy, I'll do the eggs. Or, sometimes, I'll do olive oil (no sesame or sirracha), red pepper flakes, feta or parmesan cheese

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