Do you have a bag in your pantry but are not really sure how to cook lentils? Or use them? These are my go-to, tried-and-true ways of cooking green and brown lentils from dry on the stove, in a slow cooker or in an Instant Pot.

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A bowl of cooked brown lentils in a bowl, sprinkled with chopped cilantro. A spoon is holding a scoop up the lentils up closer to the camera.

Lentils are a wonderful plant based protein that has the ability to step in for meat in many recipes. Soups, sauces and even “meat”loaf. Plus, when bought dry, they make for a great pantry staple that makes throwing together a healthy dinner easy!

Health benefits of lentils

Lentils are part of the legume family right there with beans and come in lots of different colors. For these particular recipes, I used brown and/or green lentils since they are cheap, easy to find, and work in lots of different recipes (try my Instant Pot/ slow cooker Lentil Soup).

Brown lentils and green lentils (sometimes called French lentils) are also the most commonly used lentils. They also hold their shape really well in recipes. Red lentils are also a common lentil in recipes, but tend to not hold their shape as well and require less cooking time and liquid.

Not only are lentils inexpensive and versatile, but they also pack a serious nutritious punch. They are packed with goodness like… (source)

B vitamins
magnesium
zinc
potassium
protein
fiber
iron

Dry brown lentils in a mesh strain over a sink, being rinsed before cooking.

Different kinds of lentils

There are lots of different kinds of lentils and they are all a bit different There are a dozen or so varieties of lentils, but these are the ones I use most frequently and the more common ones you’ll find in your local market:

Green Lentils: green lentils have a slight peppery flavor and maintain a medium to firm texture making them perfect for salads and side dishes.
Lentils de Puy (French Green Lentils): Lentils de Puy are similar to green lentils but with a slightly firmer texture, more speckled appearance and they’re grown exclusively in France.
Brown Lentils: brown lentils are the most common and easy to find, have a mild earthy flavor and hold their shape well, making them versatile for many recipes.
Red Lentils: red lentils are often sold split, cook fast, have a sweeter flavor and soften up to the point of a puree, making them perfect for soups.
Black Lentils (Beluga Lentils): black lentils have a rich earthy flavor, hold their shape and are so tiny and shiny they look amazingly similar to caviar.

Dry brown lentils in a slow cooker before being cooked, being stirred by a wooden spoon.

How to cook lentils

I opt to buy and cook my lentils from dry because they are way cheaper and pretty low fuss to cook.

Like all legumes, I prefer to soak my lentils in water overnight to help them be easier on the digestion and cause less bloating (and gas!). However, if legumes don’t make you “musical” in the bathroom, you can opt to skip the soaking process and go straight for cooking.

How to cook lentils on the stove top, cover the lentils with water in a pot and bring the water to a boil. Reduce the heat and let the lentil simmer for about 20-25 minutes. Drain and let them cool a bit before adding to the recipe.
How to cook lentils in the Instant Pot, combine 1/3 cup dry lentils with 1 1/2 cups water. Cook on HIGH pressure for 9 minutes (it will take about 5-6 minutes for your IP to reach pressure). Quick release the pressure once cook time is up. Drain and let the lentils cool a bit before adding to the recipe.
How to cook lentils in the slow cooker or crock pot, combine the 1/3 cup dry lentils with 2-3 cups of water and cook on LOW for 4 hours or on HIGH for 2 hours (depending on slow cooker). Drain and let cool before adding to the recipe.
Skip the dry lentils and buy precooked lentils! I find them in the fridge or freezer section of many health focused grocery stores!

Cooked lentils in the Instant Pot with a wooden spoon stirring them.

How to season lentils

Sometimes you want to cook lentils unseasoned so that they can hang out in your fridge and be plugged into lots of different meals. And sometimes you want to give them a little personality and flavor right off the bat!

Seasons lentils are great for adding a little plant protein to any salad or meal.

While I don’t use them all at once, when seasoning lentils, here are the spices I reach for…

bay leaves
cardamom
cayenne
chives
cilantro
cloves
cumin
curry
dill
garlic
ginger
onion powder
parsley
pepper
thyme
turmeric

Dry lentils in a sauce pan with water before being cooked. A wooden spoon is stirring them.

Foods that pair well with lentils

When cooking lentils on a whim, I love to just dig through my fridge and find foods that pair well with them to make a delicious dinner extra easy and extra simple. Sometimes I’ll make a stir-fry to add the lentils to and other times it might just be a soup or salad!

Here are some foods that go really well with lentils so that you can cook on a whim too!

apples
bacon
bell peppers
butter
carrots
celery
cheese
chicken
coconut cream
cream
ham
leeks
olive oil
onions
pork
meat
salmon
stocks/broths
sausage
soy sauce/coconut aminos
spinach
squash
tomatoes
zucchini

How to serve lentils

Like I said before, lentils are pretty magical for replacing meat in many common recipes. Here are some ways I love to serve them to my family.

Over salad. Just season when cooking and toss them over a bed of greens and other veggies.
In tacos. Lentils take on the texture of ground beef when cooked and with the proper seasoning, they make for the perfect vegetarian taco filling!
In a burrito or burrito bowl. Like tacos, cooked and seasoned lentils make for a great meat substitute in burritos and burrito bowls.
In pasta sauce. I love to stir some cooked lentils into some tomato sauce for a beefed up pasta sauce that also makes for a really easy dinner!

Lentil recipes

Okay, so now you know how to cook lentils to so that you can easily throw them into sauces, salads and whatever else you can dream up. But if you are staring at the bag of dry lentils in your pantry, wondering how else you can use the, here are some of our other favorite lentil recipes!

A bowl of cooked brown lentils in a bowl, sprinkled with chopped cilantro. A spoon is resting on the side of the bowl.

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