Lentils are a legume that is widely used in cooking due to its special taste and beneficial properties. Its delicate nutty flavor and variety of types allow it to be used for preparing first and second courses, purees and porridges. Unlike beans and kidney beans, they cook faster and do not require pre-soaking. Green and brown lentils retain their shape better during cooking, while red ones cook quickly and are more often used in first courses.

Brown lentils have a rich, earthy flavor. It retains its shape well during the cooking process. Green is very aromatic and will be an excellent addition to salads. Red lentils cook quickly (20-25 minutes), do not take much time, but are easily overcooked and do not retain their original shape during cooking. For this reason, it is used to thicken soups and make purees.

Preparing lentils for cooking

1. Scatter the required amount of lentils on the work surface and dispose of any debris.
2. Place it in a colander and rinse under running water.
3. After washing, you can start cooking.

For a glass of grain, take three glasses of water. Pour vegetable or meat broth or water into the pan, add vegetables. Bring to a boil and add lentils. Boil for 2-3 minutes over high heat, then reduce it and cook at a low simmer until tender, at the end add salt and season with spices.

Different types of legumes require specific cooking times. Green and brown lentils are cooked for 40-45 minutes, and red lentils will be ready in 25-30 minutes.

The Greek playwright Aristophanes called lentil soup a “sweet delicacy.” It's filling, delicious, and can be made in minutes. During the off-season and winter, soup with beans and tomatoes will remind you of summer and warm you up.

Ingredients

We will need:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil;
• a cup of finely chopped onion;
• 1/2 cup fresh and grated carrots;
• a teaspoon of salt;
• 400 g lentils;
• a cup of peeled and chopped tomatoes;
• 3 liters of water or broth;
• spices, seasonings to taste.

Heat sunflower or olive oil in a saucepan and fry the onions and carrots until translucent. Add lentils, tomatoes, water or broth. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Then continue to simmer the soup until the grains are soft (35-40 minutes). Add salt and spices at the end of cooking. If you prefer pureed first courses, use a blender. Serve the soup hot.

Take note

1. To add additional flavor to the soup, at the end of cooking, add chopped garlic, bay leaf and half a teaspoon of dried thyme. Before serving, do not forget to remove the bay leaf.
2. Store the finished soup in the refrigerator for no more than three days.
3. Lentils easily absorb the flavors of the foods you cook them with. Watch the cooking time and do not overcook the lentils.
4. Lentils do not need to be soaked to make soups.
5. Do not add salt to the soup until the lentils are cooked.

Humanity has been using lentils in its diet for many millennia. It is a huge success among vegetarians, because lentils are an excellent replacement for animal protein.

This legume plant has several varieties. True, not all housewives know how to properly cook lentils so that the benefits and taste of this cereal are not wasted. It's time to find out.

Preparation before cooking

Before you start cooking any variety of lentils, you need to rinse the grains in cold water. After washing, debris will be clearly visible on the surface - it must be removed.

Lentil beans do not need to be pre-soaked, as is done, for example, with beans or peas.

They do not cook for long, so such measures are unnecessary.

Some housewives cook lentils in salted or acidified water to give them an original taste. In this case, the cooking time increases. Therefore, it is recommended to salt the dish only at the final stage of cooking.

But in order to prepare a lentil dish correctly, tasty and not overcook, you need to lower it into already boiling water.

After boiling again, reduce the heat to low and cook without lifting the lid for 10 to 40 minutes. The exact time to cook the lentils also depends on the variety of this legume.

Different varieties dictate the following cooking times:

• red grains – half an hour;
• brown beans - 25 minutes;
• green varieties – 40 minutes;
• orange grains – 20 minutes.

Variety of lentil side dishes

The simplest side dish is made from green lentils, because this is the variety that best retains its shape. The red one may overcook and the dish will be too soft. Although if you time it correctly, these disadvantages can be avoided.

The side dish is prepared in a proportional ratio of cereals to water 1:2. The main thing in its preparation is to simmer over low heat and add salt 5 minutes before it is ready.

Another side dish option is with vegetables. It takes a long time to prepare. But it is precisely this combination that is most beneficial for the body. And besides, it’s very tasty.

To make it you need to take:

• lentils – 1 cup;
• tomato – 2 pcs.;
• onion – 1 pc.;
• medium-sized carrots – 2 pcs.;
• a bunch of dill;
• vegetable oil – 2 tbsp. spoons;
• coriander;
• pepper;
• salt.

Tomato paste is a good substitute for tomatoes if you don’t have any on hand.

There is no need to soak the lentils before cooking; it is recommended to immediately lower the product into boiling water. While the side dish is preparing, you can do the vegetables: grate the carrots, chop the tomatoes, onions and dill. After frying the onions, add the remaining vegetables to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes.

The next step is to drain the water from the lentils and add it to the vegetables. Sprinkle the dish with dill, coriander and pepper. To bring a side dish with vegetables to its logical conclusion, you need to leave it to simmer a little under a closed lid.

Cooking lentils in a slow cooker: tasty and fast

To prepare legumes in a slow cooker, you need to take simple products:

• for 1 cup of lentils – 2 cups of water;
• onion – 1 head;
• adjiki – 4 tbsp. spoons;
• carrots – 1 pc.;
• garlic – 2 cloves;
• salt;
• spices.

The process consists of the following main stages:

• grate carrots
• peel and chop the onion,
• fry the prepared foods in a multicooker on the “Baking” mode,
• squeeze garlic into vegetable mixture, fry for another 10 minutes,
• rinse the lentils under running water, but do not soak them,
• add the cereal to the fried vegetables in the slow cooker,
• add water, salt and pepper,
• season with homemade adjika. If desired, you can use tomato paste instead.

Set the multicooker to “Porridge”, “Pilaf”, “Buckwheat” or “Rice” mode. Approximate cooking time is about an hour. Keep an eye on your readiness, since the exact time is difficult to establish.

Properly cooked lentils are not only a healthy dish, but also tasty.

It will be appreciated by all your household members. And knowing how much and how to cook lentils, you can fantasize and invent more and more new dishes for your personal and healthy menu.

Unfortunately, in the CIS countries, lentils have not yet gained such popularity as other legumes (peas, beans, soybeans). And in other countries, especially in Asia and Africa, dishes made from it are very common. Many of our housewives simply do not know how to cook lentils to make delicious dishes.

Lentils are a plant that has been cultivated by mankind since time immemorial. People all over the ancient world included it in their diet, and for the poor it was the main food, and noble people used it as a delicacy with healing properties. The cooks who prepared these legumes for the nobility knew how to cook lentils to please the refined taste of their masters.

In Ancient Rus', a couple of centuries ago, various dishes were prepared from this culture and even hearty bread was baked from it. Our contemporaries have practically forgotten how to cook lentils according to the recipes of our ancestors.

This crop is of high nutritional value, since 100 g of grains contains about 25 g of valuable vegetable protein, approximately 55 g of carbohydrates and only 1 g of fat. It is thanks to this composition that you can get enough of these legumes by eating a small portion of dishes prepared from them. On average, the calorie content of 100 g of this product is 310 kcal.

In different countries, 3 types of these legumes are most often grown, which differ in the color of the grains (red, brown, green). Red lentils that do not have a shell are called “Egyptian”. It cooks quickly and has a nutty flavor. It is ideal for soups, vegetable stews, porridges and purees. Green lentils (“French”) are unripe grains. It is used for meat dishes and salads because it hardly boils and retains its grain shape. It takes longer to cook than red lentils. Brown grains indicate that these legumes are fully ripe. How to cook lentils in this case? These beans cook much faster and produce a pleasant nutty aroma. During the cooking process, you need to constantly monitor the condition of the grains, as they can boil and turn into an unpleasant-looking porridge. Brown lentils are most often used in casseroles, soups, and added to salads and stews.

The advantage of lentils is that they do not need to be soaked before cooking. These legumes are salted at the very end of cooking, since they take longer to cook in salted water. To prevent the grains from being overcooked, they are placed in boiling water. It is difficult to answer exactly the question of how long to cook lentils, since different varieties require different cooking times. Usually it is cooked over low heat for 15-60 minutes. If you need whole lentils, the most important thing is to constantly monitor them so that the grains do not become mushy.

Delicious lentils with tomato puree and onions are prepared quite quickly. For this dish, boil it until tender, drain the water, and add butter to the grains (2 tablespoons of butter per glass of raw lentils). Fry a large onion in vegetable oil and add 3-4 tbsp to it. tomato puree. All ingredients are mixed and served, garnished with herbs.

How to cook lentils for a delicious pate? Any grains are boiled until fully cooked. Salt and spices are added to taste. Fry carrots and onions, and then grind them together with lentils in a blender or meat grinder. Add chopped garlic (to taste) and a little butter to the resulting mass. All ingredients are thoroughly mixed until smooth. This pate can be a side dish for meat, a filling for pies or pancakes. It can also be spread on bread.

If you don't know how to cook lentils, now is the time to learn. This is not difficult to do if you follow some rules.

Before you start cooking, rinse the lentils well under cold water and remove any debris from them. Unlike other legumes, it does not need to be soaked. It is recommended to add salt at the very end. If you do not want problems with digestion, then you need to put the lentils in a saucepan in already boiling water.

How long does it take to cook?

Cooking a dish always takes a different amount of time. In order to decide how long to cook lentils without soaking, you need to determine the variety. So, for example, you will have to spend only 10 minutes on the red variety, 30 on the green variety, and the brown one will be ready only after 40 minutes. Sometimes it is recommended to soak this variety, but this is worth doing only if you want to reduce the cooking time.

The ratio of lentils and water during cooking

The ideal proportion for cooking is 1:2, as for most porridges. That is, for one glass of dry lentils you will need two glasses of water and so on: for two glasses of lentils there are already four servings of water. It is advisable to strictly observe this, otherwise the result will not be what you expect: the grains will be hard or, on the contrary, too boiled.

Ingredients:

• Lentils - one glass;
• Onion and carrot;
• Salt to taste;
• A little vegetable oil;
• Two glasses of water.

Cooking process:

1. Start by washing the lentils. Do this carefully.
2. Next, put the water on the fire and bring to a boil. Now you need to salt the future dish and add lentils to the dishes.
3. Bring until ready. While cooking is in progress, prepare the onions and carrots - fry the chopped vegetables with a small amount of vegetable oil.
4. Drain the water from the finished lentils and add them to the vegetables, mix everything. Now you know how to cook lentils as a side dish.

How to properly cook lentils in a slow cooker

Cooking in a slow cooker is always faster and easier, especially when it comes to lentils. As a result, the grains are soft and tasty.

Required Products:

• A glass of lentils, preferably green;
• Water in proportion – 2 glasses;
• One carrot and onion;
• Salt and other seasonings at your discretion.

How to cook:

1. Prepare vegetables using a slow cooker. Grind them and fry in the “frying” mode.
2. Next, add the washed lentils to the vegetables and cover with hot water. Add your chosen spices.
3. Turn on the “stew” mode and cook the dish for about 30 minutes. Salt the culture only five minutes before the end of cooking.

For a brighter taste, you can add adjika.

Features of cooking red, black, green and yellow lentils

If you want delicious lentil porridge, then it is best to buy green or brown lentils. Then it will not boil and will turn out in the form of grains. The red or orange variety is perfect for soups and stews.

When preparing a dish from red lentils, some advise adding salt and spices at the beginning, and not at the end, as is usually done with other varieties. The best seasonings are red pepper, curry, cumin.

Black lentils are ideal for salads with the addition of pepper, oil and hot spices.

Do not mix different varieties with each other, as the cooking time and result are different.

How to cook lentil porridge?

Lentil porridge is a good, filling dish for both breakfast and lunch. It's easy to prepare if you have all the ingredients.

Ingredients:

• Lentil grains of a suitable variety;
• Water according to proportion;
• Carrots and onions – one each;
• Salt and other seasonings;
• Garlic clove;
• A little olive oil.

Cooking process:

1. You need to start preparing porridge, of course, by preparing the cereal. To do this, you need to rinse it thoroughly under cold water, and it is better to do this several times. So that it is clean and free of debris.
2. Next, prepare a pan, place the lentils there and fill it with water. The amount of water is determined based on how much cereal you took. For one glass of dry product - two glasses of liquid.
3. Wait until it boils and turn the heat down a little.
4. While the cereal is boiling, you need to prepare the vegetables. This is done simply: chop them and fry them a little in a frying pan, adding literally one teaspoon of olive oil.
5. Add the cooked vegetables to the porridge, reduce the heat to almost minimum.
6. Now you can add salt and mix.
7. It takes an average of 30 minutes to prepare the dish, but the exact time depends on the variety you took. The grains must be boiled.
8. When everything is almost ready, squeeze in the garlic and pepper.

Puree recipe

Lentil puree is an excellent option for a hearty lunch with an interesting taste. The red variety is best suited for cooking; you can also take the green one, but then the cooking time will be a little longer.

For the dish you will need:

• Red lentil variety – approximately 70 grams;
• Onions and carrots - 1 piece each;
• Greens to taste;
• Water – about 200 ml;
• Butter – 15 grams.

Cooking process:

1. You need to start preparing the puree by preparing the vegetables - chop them.
2. Carefully choose the utensils for this dish. Something with a thick bottom is best.
3. Place the selected container on the stove and put the oil in it. Wait until it melts and then add vegetables. Fry them lightly over low heat.
4. Add washed and peeled lentils to the rest of the ingredients, mix everything.
5. Now pour in the water, wait until everything boils and add salt. All that remains is to wait until the dish is cooked. This will take approximately 20 minutes.
6. Using a blender and masher, puree the porridge, put it back into the pan and bring to a boil. After this, the dish can be served.

Soup recipe

Lentil soup is a savory dish with such an unusual taste for us, because this culture rarely appears on our table.

Required Products:

• Red lentils - one glass;
• Salt, herbs, pepper - to your taste;
• One onion and carrot;
• Several potatoes;
• Vegetable oil - three tablespoons;
• Water or ready-made broth - about 2.5 liters.

How to cook:

1. Regardless of what you cook with - broth or water, it will have to be brought to a boil. The pan must be at least three liters.
2. While the pot is boiling, prepare the lentils - rinse them so that the water is clear and there is no debris.
3. Set aside the crops and get on with the vegetables. They need to be finely chopped and the potatoes cut into small pieces.
4. Add oil to a hot frying pan, and then the prepared vegetables, except potatoes. Bring them to a golden color. This usually takes no more than three minutes.
5. When the water boils, add potatoes, cereals and fried vegetables to the pan. Bring it all back to a boil. Please note that you need to remove the foam, and the fire must be very low, otherwise the cereal will not have time to cook, and the water will run out.
6. You need to cook until the lentils and potatoes are ready. Average time – 20 minutes.
7. When the dish is almost ready, you can add spices and salt. Also, do not forget to cut the greens for a bright taste and aroma. You can add olives and squeeze a little lemon juice.

In eastern countries, lentils are called the poor man's bread. This representative of the legume family is very rich in fiber and natural protein. It can compete in its nutritional value even with some types of meat. Today we will learn how to cook green lentils.

Introduction to legumes

Lentils used to be considered a must-have dish on any table. But over time, the culinary traditions of our ancestors began to be forgotten, and today it is classified as a gourmet product. Many housewives who want to enrich their diet with healthy dishes are interested in how to properly cook green lentils. This is exactly what we will talk about today.

If you look closely, you will notice that supermarkets and grocery stores sell colorful lentils. It can be red, green, yellow and even black. This product is no different in taste. The only difference is the duration of the cooking process.

It is green lentils that give our body the greatest benefit, since this product is not pre-processed and, accordingly, retains a maximum of micro- and macroelements, vitamins and minerals. Now we will reveal several secrets of cooking green lentils:

• Despite the fact that green lentils are considered a relative of peas, it is not necessary to soak these grains before cooking.
• If you need to quickly prepare a dish with lentils, you can first soak them in filtered cool water.
• Before cooking, lentils must be thoroughly washed in a colander or deep bowl.
• Green lentils can not only be boiled. It is stewed in pots and cooked in a slow cooker.
• Lentils taste harmonious with basil, rosemary, laurel leaves, and pepper mixture. All spices and seasonings can be added to the water during the cooking process.
• How to correctly calculate the proportions of lentils and filtered water? It's very simple: for 1 tbsp. take 2 tbsp legumes. liquids.
• If the liquid has already evaporated during the cooking process, but the cereal has not yet boiled, add a little water.
• It is necessary to add water in small portions so as not to provoke a sharp temperature contrast.
• Some housewives are interested in how to cook lentils for food. This product is suitable for dietary nutrition and is prepared taking into account the basic rules and requirements.
• Add fine-grained table salt 5-10 minutes before the end of cooking. Otherwise, you will inadvertently increase the heat treatment time.
• Before cooking, lentils need to be sorted to remove impurities and spoiled beans.
• Boiled lentils can be seasoned with butter or sauce.
• Lentils can be used to make soups, aromatic and nutritious side dishes, flatbreads, lobio and even cutlets.
• Green lentils take an average of 40-60 minutes to cook, but for other varieties you will need much less time.
• During heat treatment, you can add one spoon of refined olive oil to the lentils. It will give boiled lentils an extraordinary taste and exquisite aroma.

So, we have found out the basic rules for preparing green lentils. Now it's time to discuss the recipe for a delicious side dish made from it. You can stew green lentils in a clay pot in the oven. Filtered water can be replaced with meat or vegetable broth.

A fragrant side dish - healthy and incredibly tasty

Homemakers who don't know how to cook green lentils as a side dish simply need to learn this culinary lesson. Green lentils are traditionally seasoned with sautéed onions and carrots for flavor. Now we will tell you how to prepare it correctly.

Of course, by analogy, you can cook lentils in a thick-walled container on the stove, but it will be faster and easier to cook these legumes in a slow cooker. The entire process may take more than 45 minutes. It depends on the functionality of your kitchen appliance.

Compound:

• 1½ tbsp. green lentils;
• fine-grained table salt to taste;
• 3 tbsp. filtered water;
• pepper mixture - to taste;
• 1 carrot;
• 1 onion;
• 2 tbsp. l. sunflower or refined olive oil.

Preparation: