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Discover How to Cook Lentils in just 20 minutes (yes, really!). This budget-friendly pantry staple is one of the best healthy ingredients to add to soups, salads, side dishes, meal prep recipes, and beyond.
There’s a lot to love about humble little lentils.
In case you’re unfamiliar with this plant-based protein, lentils are the dry, edible seeds of the plant subspecies Lens culinaris subsp. orientalis. Lentils fall under the umbrella of “pulses,” a family that also includes legumes like chickpeas, dried peas, and beans. Lentils are the smallest and quickest-cooking of all the pulses, and even better news? Lentils don’t need to be soaked like beans.
Lentils are earthy, nutty, budget-friendly, naturally vegan, and incredibly versatile. Once you discover how to cook lentils, you’ll be just minutes away from your next batch to add to meal prep lunches; to toss into salads, grain bowls, soups, or stews; or to serve them as-is for a healthy side dish for dinner.
There are countless ways to enjoy lentils, but my personal favorite is to saute them with some finely chopped carrots, celery, onion, fresh herbs, and olive oil. It’s a terrific, satisfying, and healthy snack.
Below, I’ll coach you through how to cook lentils on the stovetop. This method is designed for starting with dried lentils. You can also purchase canned lentils that are already cooked; if you start with those, simply rinse well and you’re good to go.
Table of Contents
Ingredient notes
- Lentils: Unlike beans, lentils do not need to be soaked before cooking.
- Salt: Salting lentils at the start of the cooking process can toughen the outer skins. Flavor the cooking liquid all you want with aromatics, but keep the salt away until the lentils are finished cooking.
Different varieties of lentils
- Split lentils: Split lentils have had their seed coat removed and the inner part of the lentils has been split in half. Split lentils cook much quicker than whole lentils and are excellent in curries, as a thickener in soups, and for purées.
- Whole lentils: Whole lentils are ideal for salads, soups, and side dishes of all kinds; they add lots of texture and protein to whatever you put them in. I love making Mediterranean Lentil Salad for a quick yet hearty lunch or simmering a big pot of Ham and Lentil Soup to ward off chilly days.
- Brown lentils: Brown lentils are one of the most common varieties of lentils and the easiest to find. They hold their shape nicely once cooked. Brown lentils have a mild, earthy flavor and can be a natural thickener in soup or veggie burgers.
- Green lentils: Another common type of lentil, with a slightly peppery flavor and firm texture. These have a slightly longer cooking time than other varieties. Lentils de Puy (sometimes called Puy Lentils) are just French green lentils (grown in France).
- Red lentils: Red lentils are tiny split lentils that cook in no time at all. They’re commonly used in Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and Indian recipes, and have a very soft texture when cooked. Great for use in soups, purées, and stews.
- Yellow lentils: This sweet and nutty lentil is very similar to red lentils. Yellow lentils are a main feature of Indian cuisine, flavored with spices in a creamy Indian dal.
- Black or Beluga lentils: Named because this type of lentil resembles caviar, black lentils have a deep, earthy flavor, and firm texture and are the most nutritious out of all the types of lentils. They’re also a bit more money.
Step-by-step instructions
- Spread dry lentils out on a baking sheet. Look through, pick out, and discard any stones or deformed lentils.
- Transfer lentils to a colander or fine mesh sieve and rinse under cold water to remove dust and any remaining debris.
- Add lentils and water to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover, and simmer until tender but not mushy, about 15 to 20 minutes. Drain well.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This method will leave you with about 2 ½ cups of cooked lentils, enough for four, servings about one heaping ½ cup each. Use a larger pot and double the recipe if desired; leftover lentils store easily and are so handy to have around!
- Storing dry lentils: Store packaged lentils, dry or canned, in your pantry, a kitchen cabinet, or any dry, dark, cool location for up to 1 year. If you purchase lentils in bulk or the container you purchase isn’t airtight, transfer them to an airtight container, such as a mason jar or zip-top bag.
- Storing cooked lentils: Transfer cooked lentils to an airtight container and store them in the fridge for up to 5 to 7 days.
- Freezer: Spread cooked lentils on a sheet tray to cool. Transfer to freezer-safe bags, then label, date, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- Basic sautéed lentils: Personally, I love to sauté finely chopped carrots, celery, and onions in olive oil. Stir in cooked lentils, season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve it over cooked brown rice.
- Mexican lentils: Using the same method as Mexican Rice, process tomatoes and onions in a blender, then stir into cooked lentils in a saucepan (and minced jalapeños if that sounds good). Simmer for a bit. So delicious!
- Build a bowl: Combine cooked lentils, sweet potatoes, and kale or spinach in a bowl. Top with pepitas, drizzle with creamy cilantro-lime sauce, and enjoy all the flavors!
- Slow Cooker Lentils: In the bottom of a slow cooker, add lentils, water, and any aromatics such as onion, carrot, garlic, or bay leaf. Cover and cook on LOW heat for 8 to 10 hours, until the lentils are tender. Season to taste.
- Instant Pot Lentils: Instant Pot Lentils require time for the pressure cooker to warm up, cook, depressurize, and vent, so there isn’t a huge time-savings vs. stove-top lentils.
- In the bottom of an instant pot, combine 1 cup lentils with 3 cups of water and any aromatics.
- Select the Manual or Pressure Cook button and cook for 6 to 8 minutes. Allow to depressurize for at least 10 minutes.
- Move the Venting knob from the Sealing position to the Venting position and release any remaining pressure. Season to taste.
Frequently Asked Questions
Lentil plants are short, bushy plants with pods containing one to three lentils in each pod. Canada is the world’s leading producer of lentils; there are over 5,000 active lentil farmers in Canada. It’s a pretty fast-growing crop, too; lentils are usually planted in May and harvested in August. Growing lentils restores a lot of nutrients back to the soil, and delivers a lot of nutrients to us, too.
No matter what lentil you’re cooking, use 3 cups of liquid (water or stock) for every 1 cup of lentils. add three times the amount of water or stock.
Most varieties of whole lentils cook time in 15 to 20 minutes. Green lentils may require a few more minutes. The fastest-cooking lentils are split red lentils, which are ready in about 5 to 7 minutes.
Like beans, salting lentils at the start of the cooking process can toughen the outer skins and make them tough. Flavor the cooking liquid all you want with aromatics, but keep the salt away until they’re finished cooking.
The easiest way to amp up the flavor is to cook lentils in vegetable broth, chicken broth, or beef broth instead of water. You can also infuse lentils with aromatics, using the lentils’ final destination as your inspiration. Make a complimentary bouquet garni filled with herbs, peppercorns, and some leafy celery greens to match the theme of your lentil recipe. Alternatively, toss a couple of minced cloves of garlic, a bay leaf, ½ cup diced carrot, a couple slivers of lemon peel, or ½ cup diced onion into the pot lentils before cranking up the heat.
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How to Cook Lentils
Ingredients
- 1 cup lentils (see note 1)
- 3 cups water
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper optional (see note 2)
Instructions
- Spread dry lentils out on a baking sheet. Look through, pick out, and discard any stones or deformed lentils.
- Transfer lentils to a colander and rinse under cold water to remove dust and any remaining debris.
- Add lentils and water to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover, and simmer until tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Drain well.
Notes
- Lentils: Unlike beans, lentils do not need to be soaked before cooking.
- Salt: Salting lentils at the start of the cooking process can toughen the outer skins. Flavor the cooking liquid all you want with aromatics, but keep the salt away until the lentils are finished cooking.
- Yield: This method will leave you with about 2 ½ cups of cooked lentils, enough for four, servings about one heaping ½ cup each.
- Storage: Transfer cooked lentils to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 to 7 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.