My husband calls this Lentil Brown Rice his essential staple, and it makes sense: the brown lentils are wonderfully high in protein, iron, and folate, and they taste great! His old routine involved painstakingly bulk-cooking the rice and lentils separately on the stovetop every weekend. When I joined him in America, I tried streamlining the process in a small rice cooker, but the real game-changer was the Instant Pot. Since then, I’ve never looked back at the stovetop method!
Now, for my secret flavor trick: I cook the lentil brown rice right after preparing my big batches of washed flour seitan. By substituting plain water with the seitan’s seasoned broth, the rice mixture gets infused with a rich, savory depth that takes it to the next level.
For inspiration, I took cues from A Couple Cooks’ flavorful, smoky Instant Pot lentils and rice recipe. While their recipe is delicious and complete, I usually keep my version unseasoned for maximum versatility, making it the perfect base for vibrant stir-fried dishes or a cozy serving of vegan chicken chop rice.
Instant Pot Lentil Brown Rice: High-Protein Vegan Meal Prep
I mix a ratio of 1:1 for brown rice and brown lentils to pack more protein and nutrients into our meals. Serve the rice with stir-fried vegetables, sweet and sour tofu, vegan seitan chicken chop, or packed meals!
5 mins | 16 mins | 16 mins |
Ingredients
500 g brown lentils (2½ cups)
475 g brown rice (2½ cups)
40 oz low-sodium vegetable broth (5 cups; use the broth saved from making seitan)
1 tbsp olive oil
Instructions to Cook Lentil Brown Rice
Add broth to the inner pot of the Instant Pot
- For a richer flavor, use the broth saved from cooking the washed flour seitan.
- Ingredients: 5 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
Rinse and drain brown rice
-
- Ingredients: 2½ cups brown rice
Rinse and drain brown lentils
-
- Ingredients: 2½ cups brown lentils
Add olive oil to the lentil brown rice with broth
- Add rinsed and drained rice and lentils to the pot of broth, and add olive oil.
- Ingredients: 1 tbsp olive oil
Cook lentil brown rice in the Instant Pot
- Pressure Cook: High pressure
- Time: 16 mins
- Natural release (let the valve drop on its own)
Fluff the rice
Use the rice spatula to “slice” through the cooked lentil and rice to fluff the rice. This method minimizes mushing the lentils and rice.
Freeze and store cooked lentil brown rice
- Divide the lentil brown rice into food containers and let cool. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat using a microwave for about 3-4 minutes.
- Tip: Drop a small ice cube into the rice before microwaving; it helps keep the rice moist.
Serve and enjoy!
The lentil brown rice is very versatile. Serve it with stir-fried dishes, or as a substitute for other rice. The vegan chicken chop featured here uses the washed flour seitan.
