How to Cook Lentils

Lentils are a very popular bean to use in many different recipes.  You can use them in soups or as side dishes. In fact, they are one of the most popular beans to use in any kind of bean soup.  Along with wheat and barley, lentils are one of the oldest known crops.  Lentils were often served in ancient Greece as soups, much like today.  There are over a hundred different kinds of lentils and about 50 are harvested for consumption.  The most popular types of lentils are the red, green and brown varieties.  Lentils tend to be popular because they have a nutty, earthy flavor and sometimes add a zest of pepper flavor to certain dishes. Knowing how to cook lentils doesn’t require that you learn many lentil recipes. In this guide we’ll cover two lentil recipes that should get you started.

Lentils are a unique type of bean because the older they are, the longer they take to cook.  It is best to buy fresh ones from the store because it will save you cooking time.  There is nothing wrong with using old lentils because the flavor will be the same but the cooking time will be the issue.  Another consideration with lentils is the amount of liquid that you choose to use in any recipe. Unlike many other types of beans, using too much water can make the beans overly soggy. Because there are several different types of lentils and all of them have different cooking times, it is a wise thing to make sure you don’t cook different types in one pot.  Lentils are also popular because they have a lot of protein in them and make a good substitute for any kind of meat.

Classic Lentil Soup

Serves 4

Here are the ingredients for this recipe:

Step 1:

Make sure the beans are clean. You can clean them by rinsing them in a strainer with cold water.  Unlike most beans, lentils do not need to be soaked in water.  Place the 3 cups of water or broth in a cooking pot and bring to a boil over medium heat.

Step 2:

How to Cook Lentils

How to Cook Lentils

Add the 2 cups of lentils and any onion, garlic and herbs you chopped up.  Because salt tends to harden lentils while they are being cooked, don’t add the salt quite yet.  Boil at medium to high heat for 5 minutes and lower to a simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.  Start tasting the lentils after about 15 to 20 minutes to make sure they aren’t mushy.  Cooking time varies depending on what kind of lentil you are using.  Once the lentils are the perfect texture, they are ready to eat.

Anything acidic should be added after cooking. Otherwise, it ruins the lentils.  Make sure to add any lemon juice or tomatoes after they are done.

Here is a great lentil chili recipe.  Lentils aren’t the most common chili bean but they do make a great substitute.

Spicy Lentil Chili

Serves 6

Here are the ingredients you will need for this recipe:

Step 1:

Rinse the lentils with cold water in a strainer.  Take the vegetable oil, garlic and onion and put them into a large cooking pot and sauté them over medium heat for about 5 minutes.  Don’t sauté them too long because you don’t want to burn them.

Step 2:

Add in the 2 cups of lentil beans.  Add the chicken or beef broth, tomatoes, 4 tablespoons of chili powder, 1 tablespoon of ground cumin and salt and pepper.  Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce the heat so that the chili can simmer for 30 minutes or until the lentils are tender enough to eat.

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