How to cook lentils

[Kitchen Witch]

How to cook lentils


• Lentils are a natural in soups and stews and also make a great cold salad.

• Lentils need no pre-soaking and cook much more quickly than other dried legumes.

• To cook lentils, simply pick over to remove debris or shriveled lentils, rinse, and drain. Cover with water or broth and boil for 2 to 3 minutes (to aid in digestion). Reduce heat and simmer until tender. Depending on the variety and age, cooking time may take anywhere from 10 minutes to 1 hour.

• When using a pressure cooker to cook lentils, add a teaspoon of oil to keep the scum from blocking the safety valve.

• Salt added to the cooking water will toughen the beans. Add salt once the lentils are completely cooked.

• Acidic ingredients such as wine or tomatoes can lengthen cooking time. You may wish to add these ingredients after the lentils have become tender.

• Lentils should be liberally seasoned.

• The high protein content in lentils makes them an excellent meat substitute.

• Older lentils will take longer to cook because they have lost more moisture. Do not mix newly-purchased lentils with old ones. They will cook unevenly.



Lentils with Sausage

4 cups lentils
4 slices bacon
polish sausage
1 large onion, chopped
1 bag carrots, chopped
2 bouillon cubes
1/2 cup vinegar

Saute onion and chopped bacon in oil. I like to do this in a
pressure cooker, you will know the reason in a moment. Add chopped
sausage, lentils, bouillon cubes, and about six cups of water.
Heat mixture thoroughly, stirring occasionally, adding water as
the lentils soak it up so that you have a stew consistency. Add
1/4 cup of the vinegar and cook for about 1 hour. Add the carrots
after 1 hr of cooking.

This is where the pressure cooker comes in. If you don't have one,
you'll have to continue cooking until the lentils are soft, about
2 1/2 hrs. If you do have a pressure cooker, after the 1 hr regular
cooking, pressure cook the mixture for about 15 min. Season to
taste with salt, pepper and the rest of the vinegar.



Lentils and Rice with Fried Onions (Mujadarrah)

Fried onions are mixed with rice and lentils, and topped with yogurt or sour cream. So simple, and so delicious.

6 tablespoons olive oil
1 large white onion, sliced into rings
1 1/3 cups uncooked green lentils
3/4 cup uncooked long-grain white rice
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup plain yogurt (optional)


1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onions, and cook about 10 minutes, until browned. Remove from heat, and set aside.

2. Place lentils in a medium saucepan with enough lightly salted water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer about 15 minutes.

3. Stir rice and enough water to cover into the saucepan with the lentils. Season with salt and pepper. Cover saucepan, and continue to simmer 15 to 20 minutes, until rice and lentils are tender.

4. Mix half the onions into the lentil mixture. Top with sour cream and remaining onions to serve.

[KrabbyPatty]

How to cook lentils


• To cook lentils, simply pick over to remove debris or shriveled lentils, rinse, and drain. Cover with water or broth and boil for 2 to 3 minutes (to aid in digestion). Reduce heat and simmer until tender. Depending on the variety and age, cooking time may take anywhere from 10 minutes to 1 hour. <-----

Lentils with Sausage

4 cups lentils
4 slices bacon
polish sausage
1 large onion, chopped
1 bag carrots, chopped
2 bouillon cubes
1/2 cup vinegar

Saute onion and chopped bacon in oil. I like to do this in a
pressure cooker, you will know the reason in a moment. Add chopped
sausage, lentils, <----- bouillon cubes, and about six cups of water.
Heat mixture thoroughly, stirring occasionally, adding water as
the lentils soak it up so that you have a stew consistency. Add
1/4 cup of the vinegar and cook for about 1 hour. Add the carrots
after 1 hr of cooking.

This is where the pressure cooker comes in. If you don't have one,
you'll have to continue cooking until the lentils are soft, about
2 1/2 hrs. <------

I'm so confused! If lentils only take 10 minutes to an hour to cook, and then you add the lentils to this first recipe and then cook for an hour, why would you have to continue cooking about 2 1/2 hours more to soften the lentils? Am I misunderstanding the idea that "cooked" lentils are not soft/edible yet? Please help, I'm as dumb as a rock and I want to learn to do things right! Thank you so much!

[Water123]

If you soak them first, they do not take as long to cook (ditto for pinto beans, red beans, etc). Otherwise, they take hours.