Lentils anyone?

Ericaj573

I've been reading a lot about the health/price benefits of lentils, but I've never cooked or used them. Also, once cooked, what do you eat them with or what do you use to add flavour? Any suggestions gratefully received

alliemoonmommy

i threw some in my veggie soup last night. tasted good. should have added more salt, though

noninoki

You could make a lentil and sweet potato curry in a crock pot

VeryKatie

I make a yummy lentil soup. It's quite filling! And generally soup does next to nothing for me, so that's saying something.

jgnatca

They cook really fast, not like beans. Spice them up with peppers and onions.

http://www.chefheidifink.com/blog/recipes/simple-moroccan-lentils/

socioseguro

http://www.mycolombianrecipes.com/lentils-with-rice-and-spanish-chorizo-sausagelentejas-con-chorizo

mjwarbeck

Depends on the type of lentils....some cook very quickly and will dissolve to near paste quickly (great for dal) others hold their shape...id use those for a salad or a side dish pilaf

janejellyroll

Lentil soup and lentil tacos are two of my lentil favorites.

cryptobrit

Erica, there are different types of lentils, so you might want to try different ones. Some you soak first like the green ones, but you don't have to soak as long as other pulses. You might want to try a tarka dahl with them.

shadowfax_c11

Love lentils. Sometimes I cook them as a side but mostly I make soup with them. I don't have any specific recipes since I do most of my cooking from scratch and off the cuff. Thyme chicken broth with some garlic, black pepper, carrots onion and a dash or two of red hot makes for a nice soup.

I use both green and red lentils and have never bothered with soaking either kind.

akboy58

I've made a modified version of this recipe a couple of times recently, and it's really tasty. The red lentils are harder to find, but worth the search. They cook down to mush, like split peas, then I take an extra step and puree the soup. Don't bother buying cumin seeds/grinding/toasting, etc. -- the regular dried spices are fine for this.

http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1016522-red-lentil-soup

azulvioleta6

I do a quick soak (like you would for beans) but only let them sit for about 30 minutes. Then I saute onion, garlic, carrots (and maybe celery, tomatoes) in olive oil with a couple of laurel (bay) leaves. Add the sofrito to the lentils with a bit of chicken stock, let it cook down a little and you have something GOOD. I like to serve it with achiote rice--yellow rice.

For inspiration and more concrete recipes, look at the cuisines of Spain, South America, the Middle East and India.

Good accompaniments include sliced hard-boiled egg, sausage, roasted potatoes, roasted sweet potatoes...the list is long.