How To Cook Lentils Lentil Recipe

Of all the seeds in the legume world, lentils are some of the most low-maintenance. The short answer for how to cook lentils: rinse, simmer in plenty of water until tender, and drain. Unlike cooking chickpeas or beans, they don’t need an overnight soak or hours on your stove. In fact, you cook them more like orzo–or any pasta for that matter. Red lentils are a no-brainer. They’re already split, so they simply melt into whatever you’re making. I blend them to a comforting creaminess for vegetarian soups and stews like Kırmızı Mercimek Çorbası, my go-to when my fridge feels on the empty side. What makes black, green, and brown lentils a bit tricker is they’re easier to mess up. Cook them well and you’ll feel like you made magic. The tiny disks become deliciously tender yet maintain their shape, adding texture and protein to Crispy Onion Rice, and even managing to give Vegetarian Moussaka a ground meat-like filling. On the other hand, if you boil them too harshly or leave them simmering too long they can become a chalky, flavorless sludge. Thankfully, cooking lentils properly isn’t difficult, it just requires attention. Check early, check often, and season well!

What are Lentils?

Lentils are a seed from the legume family (fabaceae), the same family as chickpeas, beans, and peas. Legumes are unique in that they produce pods with edible seeds. As one of the first domesticated crops, these unassuming nutritional powerhouses have been fueling the areas around the Mediterranean Sea and Western Asia for thousands of years. The lentil seeds are harvested and cleaned after the pod has dried. Some varieties, like red lentils, are also hulled and split, whereby the outer coating is removed and the seed is halved.

Are Lentils Healthy?

Lentils are a major part of the Mediterranean diet for good reason. They’re chock-full of essential nutrients and rich in plant-based protein. In fact, there are 24.6 grams of protein per 100 grams of lentils, compared to chicken breasts’ measly 22.5 grams! They’re also high in dietary fiber, low in fat, and are a complex carb with a low glycemic index.

GET THE FACTS: See the USDA for the full nutritional breakdown on both lentils and chicken breasts.

Beyond their lengthy vitamin and mineral resume, lentils are high in some of the same antioxidant compounds touted as giving extra virgin olive oil its health benefits. Polyphenols, Saponins and Phytosterols in Lentils and Their Health Benefits: An Overview, a review published in the National Institute of Health, states, “The most common polyphenols in lentils include phenolic acids, flavan-3-ol, flavonols, anthocyanidins, proanthocyanidins or condensed tannins, and anthocyanins, which play an important role in the prevention of several degenerative diseases in humans, due to their antioxidant activity. Furthermore, lentil polyphenols are reported to have antidiabetic, cardioprotective, and anticancer activities.” This is all to say that lentils are healthy. They’re also affordable, shelf-stable, relatively quick-cooking, and downright delicious if you treat them right.

Types of Lentils

There are four main types of lentils in Mediterranean cuisine, each of which comes from a different cultivar of the same lentil plant.

Use Red Lentils in These Recipes

Easy Vegan Pumpkin Soup Turkish Red Lentil Soup (Kırmızı Mercimek Çorbası) Curried Red Lentil and Sweet Potato Soup Easy Greek Red Lentil Soup

Use Green Lentils in These Recipes

Lentil Salad with Roasted Eggplant and Pomegranate Dressing French Lentil Salad with Cucumber, Bell Pepper, and Fresh Herbs Italian Sausage and Lentils with Fennel Adas Polo (Persian Rice and Lentils with Caramelized Onions, Dates, and Raisins)

Use Black Lentils in These Recipes

Caprese Lentil Salad Recipe Mujadara: Lentils and Rice with Crispy Onions Easy Butternut Squash Recipe with Lentils and Quinoa Best Vegetarian Moussaka Recipe

Use Brown Lentils in These Recipes

Spicy Harissa White Bean and Lentil Salad Egyptian Koshari Recipe Mediterranean Grain Bowls Recipe with Lentils and Chickpeas Italian Lentil Soup

How to Cook Lentils

Lentils just about double in size, so if you’d like to end up with 2-ish cups then start with 1 cup of uncooked lentils. There’s no need to fuss with a ratio for the water—you can skip the measuring cup altogether and just eyeball it. Here are the easy steps to cook lentils: BEST SUBSTITUTE: Black or brown lentils. BEST SUBSTITUTE: Green or brown lentils. BEST SUBSTITUTE: Green or black lentils.

Clean the lentils. Add the lentils to a fine mesh strainer and rinse under cold water to remove debris. Pick out any rocks or stones (you typically won’t find any but it’s worth checking). Gently cook the lentils. Fill a medium saucepan with water and bring to a boil over high heat. When the water is boiling, turn the heat to medium-low. Add the rinsed lentils and a big pinch of salt. Simmer until the lentils are cooked to your liking. Strain through the fine mesh strainer and season. Lentils are plain and somewhat dry on their own. While they’re hot, throw them in a bowl and add your favorite flavors. Toss with salad dressing, infuse olive oil with Aleppo pepper and garlic, add a squeeze of lemon and a good glug of olive oil. You can season them in endless ways. Don’t forget salt!

How Long to Cook Lentils?

How long you should cook lentils depends on your taste, what you’re making, what brand of lentils you’re using, and more. Here are my suggested cook times, but remember: Always check early and cook to your liking.

Green: 15 minutes Red: 8 minutes (these will not hold their shape, and are better for blending or adding to soups/stews) Black: 20 minutes Brown: 15 minutes Black: 20 minutes

What to Serve with Lentils

We have many lentil recipes on the site that will show you how to incorporate lentils into your routine, from soups to salads and everything in between. But generally speaking, if you toss in some good flavor on black, green, or brown lentils while they’re still warm, you can prep them ahead and turn them into healthy meals all week. Some ideas:

Add dressing: Toss with any of these 10 Healthy Salad Dressing Recipes. Marinate them: Infuse extra virgin oil by heating it on your stove with aromatics until fragrant, like garlic, chili pepper (dried or fresh), shallot, bay leaf, and dried herbs. Stir the flavorful oil into the lentils. Add protein: Serve with a fried egg, Italian sausage, or Greek Chicken. Add creaminess: Top with a spoonful of Greek yogurt or Labneh.