18 lentil dishes without egg, and where egg usually hides

Plain soups, stews, dhal and lentil salads rarely need egg, so the main risk is in recipes where lentils are shaped, coated or baked into a crust. Lentil burgers, lentil meatballs and fritters may use egg as a binder, while a lentil pie or tart can have egg in the pastry wash or filling. Fresh pasta served with lentils may contain egg even though the lentil preparation does not. Read the full ingredient list rather than relying on the dish name, because “lentil” does not reveal whether egg is doing structural work.

Cooked lentils need to be drained well and cooled before mixing, otherwise their moisture makes the mixture loose. Mash some of the lentils, then add a dry binder such as breadcrumbs, oats or flour and allow the mixture to stand so it firms up. Finely chopped vegetables should be cooked until their water has evaporated, and the shaped portions should be chilled before frying or baking. Check every binder, breadcrumb and seasoning blend for egg, since packaged ingredients can introduce it indirectly.

Pastry may contain egg in a glaze, and some enriched pastries use it in the dough, so check both the pastry and its finish. Fresh pasta is often made with egg, even when it is served with an egg-free lentil sauce; dried pasta is commonly egg-free but still needs a label check. Pancake, fritter and other batter-based lentil dishes often use egg to bind and lighten the mixture, while lentil soups and stews usually do not. Look for terms such as egg, albumen, egg white, egg yolk and dried egg, and prevent cross-contact by using clean utensils and pans.