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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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
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.
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!
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
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!
- Instant Pot/ Slow Cooker Lentil Soup
- Vegan Carrot Muffins (with lentils)
- One-Pot Curry Lentil Soup
- Slow Cooker Lentil Tacos
- Veggie-Loaded Lentil & Quinoa “Meatballs”
- Mushroom & Lentil Pasta Sauce
How to Cook Lentils on the stove, in a slow cooker or Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 1 cup brown or green lentils picked over and rinsed
- water, broth or stock amount depends on cooking method. See individual method below.
- seasoning of choice see above for suggestions
Instructions
To cook lentils on the stove top
- Place rinsed lentils in a large sauce pot and cover with 3 cups of water/broth/stock.
- Add seasoning of choice.
- Bring the pot to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until the lentils are tender. If you prefer a softer lentil, extend cook time to 30-35 minutes.
- Once cook time is up, carefully drain lentils. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Enjoy or let cool and store in fridge for up to 5 days.
To cook lentils in the Instant Pot
- Place rinsed lentils in Instant Pot and cover with 3 cups of water/broth/stock.
- Add seasoning of choice.
- Place lid on your Instant Pot and lock it into place. Make sure the valve on the top is switched to sealing.
- Cook on HIGH pressure for 9 minutes. It will take your Instant Pot about 10 minutes to get up to pressure.
- Once cook time is up, carefully quick release the pressure by switching the valve on the top to venting. Remember that this releases hot steam, so keep your hands clear of the vent on to of the valve as you turn it (I like to use tongs sometimes to do this).
- Check lentils for desired tenderness. If you prefer a softer lentil, turn the Sauté feature on your Instant Pot on and let your lentils simmer until desired consistency is reached.
- Carefully drain lentils. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Enjoy or let cool and store in fridge for up to 5 days.
To cook lentils in slow cooker
- Place rinsed lentils in your slow cooker and cover with 4 cups of water/broth/stock.
- Cover and cook on HIGH for 3-4 hours or on LOW for 6-8 hours. Time depends on your individual slow cooker, as not all cook at the same temperature.
- Once lentils are done cooking, carefully drain lentils. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Enjoy or let cool and store in fridge for up to 5 days.
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