Make Lentils

Lentils are a soft bean commonly purchased in dried form. Unlike most of their cousins within the bean family, lentils do not need to be pre-soaked or pre-cooked before making them. In fact, lentils are quite easy to prepare, and can be made on the stove or in a slow cooker. This article will tell you all the essential information you need to know about the process.

Ingredients

Makes 4 cups (1000 mL) cooked lentils

• 1 cup (250 mL) dried green, brown, or French lentils
• 2 to 4 cups (500 to 1000 mL) water
• 1/4 to 3/4 tsp (1.25 to 3.75 mL) salt

Steps

Preparing the Lentils

1. Sort through the lentils. Pour 1 cup (250 mL) dried lentils out on a kitchen towel, plate, cutting board, or other clean surface. Pick through the lentils, sorting out any rocks, bits of soil, or other debris as you run across them. Also discard any lentils that appear to be damaged.
   • While reputable sellers do have a sorting process of their own, it is possible that their machines can miss the occasional rock or bad lentil. As such, it is recommended that you sort through the lentils by hand before making them.
   • Note that green, brown, and French lentils work best if you plan to prepare and serve them on their own. Red, orange, and yellow lentils tend to get mushy when cooked, and are better when prepared for sauces, stews, and soups.
2. Wash the lentils. Place the lentils in a colander and rinse them under cool water for 30 seconds or so. Turn off the water and gently shake the colander to encourage excess water to drip out.
   • A strainer, sifter, or other fine-mesh utensil can also be used in place of a colander. Simply make sure that the tool you use has small enough holes to prevent the lentils from falling through.
   • Do not soak the lentils. Most dried beans and other dried legumes need to be soaked for a period of time in order to soften them and remove some of the compounds known to cause digestive upset. Lentils, however, will become mushy if allowed to soak in the same way dried beans might soak, so pre-soaking them is not recommended.

Cooking Lentils on the Stove

1. Combine the lentils and 2 cups (500 mL) water. Pour 1 cup (250 mL) clean, sorted lentils into a small to medium saucepan and add twice as much water.
   • You can cook as few or as many lentils as you would like using this method. No matter how many lentils you plan on cooking, though, make sure that the ratio of lentils to water is 1 portion of lentils per 2 portions of water.
2. Bring to a rapid simmer. Heat the water on the stove using medium-high heat. Allow the water to reach a rapid simmer, but avoid letting it come to a rolling boil.
   • You should see many small bubbles coming to the surface during a rapid simmer. During a rolling boil, large bubbles that almost resemble waves will come to the surface.
   • Leave the saucepan uncovered.
3. Simmer the water for 20 to 30 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium or medium-low, dropping the contents of the saucepan down to a gentle simmer.
   • During a gentle simmer, you should only be able to see minor bubble formation. You may even see a small amount of movement in the lentils, but the movement should not be violent.
   • Keep an eye on the lentils as they cook. If necessary, you may add more water during the cooking time, but only add enough to make sure that the lentils are just barely covered.
   • Leave the saucepan uncovered. Covering the saucepan traps more heat inside and makes it nearly impossible to drop the water movement down to that of a slow simmer. The end result of a covered pot is mushy lentils.
   • Note that older lentils may take longer to cook. These lentils are also more likely to shed their skins while they simmer.
4. Let stand. Allow the lentils to stand for 5 to 10 minutes so that they absorb more of the water.
   • If you like tenderness and texture of your lentils after they have boiled for 20 to 30 minutes, though, you can skip this step and move directly to the next one. As the lentils absorb more of the water, they will only become softer.
5. Strain. Pour the contents of the saucepan through a fine-mesh colander or strainer to separate the water from the lentils.
   • When done, return the lentils to the saucepan.
6. Add salt to the lentils. Stir 1/4 tsp (1.25 mL) salt into the lentils. Taste, and add more salt as needed.
   • Note that salt and acidic ingredients should only be added to lentils after they finish cooking. Adding them before or during the cooking process will cause the lentils to remain hard and crunchy.
   • You should still stir the salt in while the lentils are warm, though, since doing so will allow the lentils to absorb more of the taste than they would if you added the salt after the lentils cooled.
   • Note that this step completes the cooking process.

Cooking Lentils in a Slow Cooker

1. Place lentils and 4 cups (1000 mL) water in the slow cooker. Pour 1 cup (250 mL) clean, sorted lentils into your slow cooker and add four times as much water.
   • As is true with the stovetop method, you can cook as few or as many lentils as you need to make using the slow cooker method as long as you have a large enough slow cooker. Simply make sure that the ration of lentils to water is 1 portion of lentils per 4 portions of water.
2. Cook for 4 hours on Low. Cover the slow cooker and set it to low. Cook the lentils until they become tender without turning mushy.
   • This process usually takes about 4 hours, but the time may vary depending on how old the lentils are. Older lentils may take up to 6 hours, while younger, fresher lentils may only need 3 1/2 to 4 hours.
   • If cooking on a High setting, halve the time. Cook the lentils for 2 hours instead of 4 hours.
   • Do not stir the lentils as they cook. Avoid removing the lid during the cooking process, only doing so once you are ready to test for doneness. Removing the lid causes the heat built up in the slow cooker to escape, which could delay and lengthen your total cooking time.
3. Strain. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the lentils to a serving bowl or pour the contents of the slow cooker through a colander or strainer with small holes.
   • If you emptied the contents of the slow cooker, you can return the lentils to the slow cooker after straining out the water. Make sure that the heat is turned off, however.
4. Season with salt. Stir 1/4 tsp (1.25 mL) salt into the lentils after draining them. Add more salt as needed.
   • Do not add salt or acidic ingredients to the lentils as they cook. Doing so can prevent the lentils from becoming tender.
   • Note that this step completes the cooking process for your lentils.

Variations

1. Cook the lentils with various seasonings. Other than salt, most non-acidic seasonings can be added to the pot of lentils and water as they cook. Seasoning the lentils as they cook allows the flavor to be absorbed more thoroughly.
   • Possible seasonings for 1 cup (250 mL) dried lentils include 1/4 tsp (1.25 mL) freshly ground black pepper, 1 bay leaf, 1 clove mashed or minced garlic, or 1 sliced shallot.
   • Strain out large seasonings like bay leaves or clumps of garlic when you strain out the water.
2. Replace the water with broth or stock. Since water is a bland liquid, you may wish to use low-sodium or sodium-free stock instead of water in order to infuse the lentils with more flavor as they cook.
   • Both chicken stock and vegetable stock are popular choices. Use as much stock as you would use water.
   • Homemade stock is preferable to store-bought broth since a commercial broth is likely to contain a high content of salt. Salt can make it difficult, if not impossible, for the lentils to become tender if added to the lentils as they cook. Any broth or stock you use should be salt-free, if possible, or at least very low in sodium.
3. Cook diced potatoes or sweet potatoes with the lentils. Potatoes and sweet potatoes cut into 1/2-inch (1.25-cm) cubes or smaller pieces will cook in roughly the same amount of time as lentils.
   • Many other vegetables, like carrots and broccoli, can also be cooked alongside the lentils. Make sure that you choose slightly tougher vegetables, though, rather than soft vegetables like peas, onions, or bell peppers, since soft vegetables tend to cook too fast.
   • Make sure that you add more water if cooking the lentils with vegetables. In a slow cooker, you should have at least 2 inches (5 cm) of water covering the contents of the slow cooker. For a saucepan, make sure that the contents are slightly covered throughout the entire process.
4. Season the cooked lentils. You can add other seasonings and dressings to your lentils alongside the salt.
   • Acidic ingredients should always be added after the lentils finish cooking, but even non-acidic ingredients can be added to fully cooked lentils.
   • Acidic ingredients include lemon juice and vinegar.
   • Olive oil or oil-based dressings can be used, as well.
   • You can also consider adding spices like curry powder, ground cumin, garlic, cayenne pepper, or chili pepper, as well as herbs like cilantro or parsley.
5. Finished.

Tips

• You can also add cooked lentils to salads and soups.
• Cooked lentils can be stored in the refrigerator for an average of one week.

Things You'll Need

• Measuring cup
• Colander or strainer
• Saucepan
• Slow cooker
• Mixing spoon

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Sources and Citations

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