Lentils anyone?

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Ericaj573
Ericaj573 Posts: 20 Member
in Food and Nutrition
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

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  • alliemoonmommy
    alliemoonmommy Posts: 4 Member
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    i threw some in my veggie soup last night. tasted good. should have added more salt, though
  • noninoki
    noninoki Posts: 2 Member
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    You could make a lentil and sweet potato curry in a crock pot :)
  • VeryKatie
    VeryKatie Posts: 5,953 Member
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    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
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
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    They cook really fast, not like beans. Spice them up with peppers and onions.

    http://www.chefheidifink.com/blog/recipes/simple-moroccan-lentils/
  • socioseguro
    socioseguro Posts: 1,679 Member
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    http://www.mycolombianrecipes.com/lentils-with-rice-and-spanish-chorizo-sausagelentejas-con-chorizo
  • mjwarbeck
    mjwarbeck Posts: 699 Member
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    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
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    Lentil soup and lentil tacos are two of my lentil favorites.
  • cryptobrit
    cryptobrit Posts: 200 Member
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    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
    shadowfax_c11 Posts: 1,942 Member
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    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
    akboy58 Posts: 137 Member
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    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
    azulvioleta6 Posts: 4,195 Member
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    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.

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