Do I need to soak green lentils before cooking? Lentils: benefits and harms, recipes

The article will tell you how to cook lentils and what dishes can be prepared from them.

Lentils are a legume with a pleasant nutty taste and incredible benefits for humans. There are several main types of lentils and each of them is unique in its own way. It should be taken into account that lentils are prepared in different ways and it all depends on the variety. There is no need to soak lentils before cooking. This is required only for those varieties that have a tighter shell (black, brown, beluga).

Lentil varieties and their cooking

When to salt lentils when cooking?

Lentils are a legume crop, which means that when cooking for them, it is important to adhere to one important rule: the dish should be salted at the end of cooking. If you cook lentils in salted water, this will extend the cooking time of the culture and you will not be able to accurately determine whether the dish is ready or not.

You may not add salt at all to avoid adding too much and spoiling the lentils. You can always season a ready-made dish, so it will be healthier, and the salt will not lose its beneficial minerals during heat treatment. But adding a bay leaf to water or a clove of garlic at the initial stage of cooking is very possible - the lentils will turn out aromatic and piquant.

How many grams of lentils are in a tablespoon?

Cooking a dish with lentils requires that all proportions be observed exactly. This way you can be sure that the soup will not be thick and the puree will not be liquid. Lentils vary in size depending on the type, but their weight is approximately the same.

Measurement table:

Thick lentil soup

What is the ratio of lentils to water when cooking?

The ratio of lentils during cooking should be strictly 2:1. That is, if you cook 1 cup of lentils (any kind), then you will need to add 2 cups of water to it. If you add less water, you risk undercooking the lentils, and if you add too much, they will turn into a liquid puree mass.

How and for how long to cook green, red, brown, yellow, orange lentils for a side dish without soaking?

How to cook lentils:

Red, yellow lentils - it should not be soaked, as it is quite soft and cooks easily and quickly. It should simply be washed with running water, removing excess debris and spoiled grains. Pour clean water over the washed lentils and put on fire. After boiling, cook the lentils for no longer than 10-15 minutes. After this, drain the excess water, season the lentils with oil and salt, cover with a lid and let stand for another 5-10 before eating. Long cooking and soaking of lentils will turn the grains into a liquid gray puree.
Green lentils – Its taste and preparation are similar to red lentils. This is a slightly unripe crop, which is why its color is due. Green lentils should be cooked a little longer, 20 to 25 minutes. After the time has passed, you need to drain the excess water from the saucepan, season the porridge with oil and salt, and let it steam for 5-7 minutes before eating.
Yellow and black lentils, brown - this culture has a denser shell and that is why it should be pre-soaked in water. It is best to leave the lentils in water overnight (at least 6 hours). After soaking, pour clean water over the lentils and put on fire. This culture should be cooked for approximately 20-30 minutes. Taste the lentils, if they become soft, drain the water, add spices, salt and oil.

IMPORTANT: To ensure that the side dish is crumbly and not liquid, the lentils should be cooked until tender (test for softness and taste), drain off excess water and leave to swell under the lid.

How to properly cook lentils for a side dish?

How to properly and tasty prepare a side dish from lentils?

A side dish of lentils is not only satisfying, but also very tasty. Lentils have a rich, nutty flavor and pleasant aroma that complements vegetables, fresh salads, stews, and other beans.

Simple lentil side dish:

Lentils, red or green - 1 cup (205-210 g).
Onion – 1 PC. (medium or small size).
Carrot - 1 PC. (medium or small size).
Any vegetable oil
bay leaf
Pepper mixture to taste and salt

Preparation:

Rinse the lentils, fill them with clean water in strict proportions, add a bay leaf to the saucepan.
Cook the lentils for 15-20 minutes (depending on the variety), be sure to drain the excess water and cover the pan with a lid, leaving the lentils to swell.
While the lentils are in a saucepan, fry finely chopped onion and grated carrots in vegetable oil, until golden brown.
Mix the fry with boiled lentils, add spices to taste.
You can also add butter or garlic oak for flavor to taste.

Delicious lentil side dish

Delicious lentil puree: recipe

Making delicious lentil puree is very easy with a kitchen blender. This way you will be able to get a homogeneous mass without lumps and overcooking of the lentils. Use red lentils (preferred) to make the puree.

You will need:

Lentils - 1 cup (205-210 g)
Bay leaf - 1 PC.
Salt and spices to taste
Vegetable oil or butter - 1-2 tbsp.

Cooking:

Boil a glass of lentils in water in a strict ratio of 1:2.
Drain the water, cover the saucepan with a lid and let the grains swell a little.
Add salt and spices, a small amount of oil.
Use a blender to puree the porridge and let the puree cool slightly; cooled puree is denser.

Lentil puree

Lentil porridge: simple and tasty recipes

The consistency of lentil porridge is thicker than puree, but not as crumbly as a side dish.

You will need:

Lentils (any) – 1 glass
Water or broth - 2-2.5 glasses
Salt and pepper mixture (to taste)
Bay leaf or clove of garlic
Fresh herbs for garnishing the dish

Cooking:

Boil the lentils a little longer than the allowed time (10 minutes).
Stir the lentils all the time so that the mass does not burn and the grains become soft.
At the initial stage of cooking, add 1 bay leaf and 1 clove of garlic to the pan.
If there is a lot of excess water, drain it after turning off the heat.
Let the porridge brew under the lid for 10-15 minutes, before serving, sprinkle with herbs and add butter.

Delicious lentil porridge

Lentil porridge: recipe in a slow cooker

Cooking porridge in a slow cooker is much easier. You can also prepare a puree or side dish from dark varieties of the crop.

You will need:

Lentils - 1 glass (any)
Water or broth - 2 glasses
Bay leaf or nutmeg - to taste
Salt and spices to taste
Butter or vegetable oil

Cooking:

Place the washed lentils into a blender bowl.
Add spices and salt to the grains
Cover the lentils with water or broth
Turn on the “porridge” or “cooking” mode for 20 minutes
Stir the porridge thoroughly twice during cooking, add oil before the end of cooking.

Video: “Lentil side dish”

Unfortunately, in the CIS countries, lentils have not yet gained such popularity as other legumes (peas, beans, soybeans). And in other countries, especially in Asia and Africa, dishes made from it are very common. Many of our housewives simply do not know how to cook lentils to make delicious dishes.

Lentils are a plant that has been cultivated by mankind since time immemorial. People all over the ancient world included it in their diet, and for the poor it was the main food, and noble people used it as a delicacy with healing properties. The cooks who prepared these legumes for the nobility knew how to cook lentils to please the refined taste of their masters.

In Ancient Rus', a couple of centuries ago, various dishes were prepared from this culture and even hearty bread was baked from it. Our contemporaries have practically forgotten how to cook lentils according to the recipes of our ancestors.

This crop is of high nutritional value, since 100 g of grains contains about 25 g of valuable vegetable protein, approximately 55 g of carbohydrates and only 1 g of fat. It is thanks to this composition that you can get enough of these legumes by eating a small portion of dishes prepared from them. On average, the calorie content of 100 g of this product is 310 kcal.

In different countries, 3 types of these legumes are most often grown, which differ in the color of the grains (red, brown, green). Red lentils that do not have a shell are called “Egyptian”. It cooks quickly and has a nutty flavor. It is ideal for soups, vegetable stews, porridges and purees. Green lentils (“French”) are unripe grains. It is used for meat dishes and salads because it hardly boils and retains its grain shape. It takes longer to cook than red lentils. Brown grains indicate that these legumes are fully ripe. How to cook lentils in this case? These beans cook much faster and produce a pleasant nutty aroma. During the cooking process, you need to constantly monitor the condition of the grains, as they can boil and turn into an unpleasant-looking porridge. Brown lentils are most often used in casseroles, soups, and added to salads and stews.

The advantage of lentils is that they do not need to be soaked before cooking. These legumes are salted at the very end of cooking, since they take longer to cook in salted water. To prevent the grains from being overcooked, they are placed in boiling water. It is difficult to answer exactly the question of how long to cook lentils, since different varieties require different cooking times. Usually it is cooked over low heat for 15-60 minutes. If you need whole lentils, the most important thing is to constantly monitor them so that the grains do not become mushy.

Delicious lentils with tomato puree and onions are prepared quite quickly. For this dish, boil it until tender, drain the water, and add butter to the grains (2 tablespoons of butter per glass of raw lentils). Fry a large onion in vegetable oil and add 3-4 tbsp to it. tomato puree. All ingredients are mixed and served, garnished with herbs.

How to cook lentils for a delicious pate? Any grains are boiled until fully cooked. Salt and spices are added to taste. Fry carrots and onions, and then grind them together with lentils in a blender or meat grinder. Add chopped garlic (to taste) and a little butter to the resulting mass. All ingredients are thoroughly mixed until smooth. This pate can be a side dish for meat, a filling for pies or pancakes. It can also be spread on bread.

Humanity has been using lentils in its diet for many millennia. It is a huge success among vegetarians, because lentils are an excellent replacement for animal protein.

This legume plant has several varieties. True, not all housewives know how to properly cook lentils so that the benefits and taste of this cereal are not wasted. It's time to find out.

Preparation before cooking

Before you start cooking any variety of lentils, you need to rinse the grains in cold water. After washing, debris will be clearly visible on the surface - it must be removed.

Lentil beans do not need to be pre-soaked, as is done, for example, with beans or peas.

They do not cook for long, so such measures are unnecessary.

Some housewives cook lentils in salted or acidified water to give them an original taste. In this case, the cooking time increases. Therefore, it is recommended to salt the dish only at the final stage of cooking.

But in order to prepare a lentil dish correctly, tasty and not overcook, you need to lower it into already boiling water.

After boiling again, reduce the heat to low and cook without lifting the lid for 10 to 40 minutes. The exact time to cook the lentils also depends on the variety of this legume.

Different varieties dictate the following cooking times:

red grains – half an hour;
brown beans - 25 minutes;
green varieties – 40 minutes;
orange grains – 20 minutes.

Variety of lentil side dishes

The simplest side dish is made from green lentils, because this is the variety that best retains its shape. The red one may overcook and the dish will be too soft. Although if you time it correctly, these disadvantages can be avoided.

The side dish is prepared in a proportional ratio of cereals to water 1:2. The main thing in its preparation is to simmer over low heat and add salt 5 minutes before it is ready.

Another side dish option is with vegetables. It takes a long time to prepare. But it is precisely this combination that is most beneficial for the body. And besides, it’s very tasty.

To make it you need to take:

lentils – 1 cup;
tomato – 2 pcs.;
onion – 1 pc.;
medium-sized carrots – 2 pcs.;
a bunch of dill;
vegetable oil – 2 tbsp. spoons;
coriander;
pepper;
salt.

Tomato paste is a good substitute for tomatoes if you don’t have any on hand.

There is no need to soak the lentils before cooking; it is recommended to immediately lower the product into boiling water. While the side dish is preparing, you can do the vegetables: grate the carrots, chop the tomatoes, onions and dill. After frying the onions, add the remaining vegetables to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes.

The next step is to drain the water from the lentils and add it to the vegetables. Sprinkle the dish with dill, coriander and pepper. To bring a side dish with vegetables to its logical conclusion, you need to leave it to simmer a little under a closed lid.

Cooking lentils in a slow cooker: tasty and fast

To prepare legumes in a slow cooker, you need to take simple products:

for 1 cup of lentils – 2 cups of water;
onion – 1 head;
adjiki – 4 tbsp. spoons;
carrots – 1 pc.;
garlic – 2 cloves;
salt;
spices.

The process consists of the following main stages:

grate carrots
peel and chop the onion,
fry the prepared foods in a multicooker on the “Baking” mode,
squeeze garlic into vegetable mixture, fry for another 10 minutes,
rinse the lentils under running water, but do not soak them,
add the cereal to the fried vegetables in the slow cooker,
add water, salt and pepper,
season with homemade adjika. If desired, you can use tomato paste instead.

Set the multicooker to “Porridge”, “Pilaf”, “Buckwheat” or “Rice” mode. Approximate cooking time is about an hour. Keep an eye on your readiness, since the exact time is difficult to establish.

Properly cooked lentils are not only a healthy dish, but also tasty.

It will be appreciated by all your household members. And knowing how much and how to cook lentils, you can fantasize and invent more and more new dishes for your personal and healthy menu.

A faithful companion of humanity since time immemorial, healthy and tasty lentils (the legume family) are, along with cereals, a food product to which the human body is adapted at the genetic level. It was also consumed by the inhabitants of ancient Egypt, Greece and Babylon, and lentils had different values among representatives of different classes. For the poor, it served as the basis of their daily diet, and for the wealthy classes it was a delicacy, loved for its healing properties. Residents of ancient Rus' also highly valued the benefits and nutritional value of lentils; at one time they were even used in baking.

The first unique feature of lentils is that they remain environmentally friendly, regardless of the degree of environmental pollution. The second is that the constituents of lentils are in no way inferior to animals, without having the fatty components characteristic of meat protein. Unlike other legumes, lentils do not need to be soaked before cooking, so at any time you can not only diversify your menu, but also improve your health. After all, lentils contain useful substances such as iron, potassium and folic acid, and they are especially recommended for use for diseases of the cardiovascular system, as well as for problems with the kidneys and gastrointestinal tract. Lentils are useful during pregnancy, as they help the proper development of the fetus.

Lentils come in red, brown and green (unripe) varieties. It is very important to know exactly how long to cook different types of lentils so that they do not turn into unappetizing porridge. Brown lentils are boiled by pre-soaking for 2-3 hours, 30-40 minutes. If you cook the lentils right away, it will take about an hour to an hour and a half. Green lentils take a little longer to cook, but preparing the red variety will take no more than half an hour.

A wide variety of dishes are prepared from lentils - soups, porridges, cutlets, pates, salads. Here are some simple recipes showing how to cook lentils simply and tasty.

Recipe No. 1 - lentil stew.

For the recipe you will need: a glass of brown lentils; onion: small carrot; half a small celery root; two tomatoes; Bell pepper; vegetable oil; dry basil; marjoram; garlic 2-3 cloves; salt; fresh parsley.

Wash the lentils well and cook. Grate the carrots and celery on a coarse grater, cut the sweet pepper into strips and fry everything together in vegetable oil. Add the finely diced onion and fry for a few more minutes. When the lentils are almost soft, add fried vegetables, salt, dilute, if necessary, with boiling water to the consistency of soup and cook until tender. At the very end of cooking, add peeled and diced tomatoes, chopped garlic, spices and cook for another 5 minutes. This soup is best sprinkled with parsley and served with rye bread croutons.

Recipe No. 2 - lentils with rice.

For the recipe you will need: a glass of lentils; ½ cup rice; 3-4 tablespoons of butter; ground hot salt; fresh parsley. To ensure that all the ingredients of this dish are ready at the same time, you should use red lentils or, before cooking brown and green lentils, soak them for 2-3 hours.

Boil pre-prepared lentils in two glasses of water. Separately, boil the fluffy rice and cool it to room temperature. Pour the rice into the hot lentils, mix gently, add red pepper and salt. Drizzle with melted butter and sprinkle with chopped parsley. It is recommended to serve this dish with a salad of fresh vegetables.

1. Before cooking, lentils should be washed thoroughly to remove any debris.

2. It is better to salt the lentils at the very end of cooking, then they will cook faster and will be softer.

3. It is better to put lentils in boiling water, so they will boil less.

4. Be sure to check the lentils for doneness from time to time, since it is difficult to determine the exact cooking time for them.

Now, knowing how to cook lentils, you have the opportunity to boldly imagine, inventing new dishes for your menu.

Cooking is a scrupulous process that requires compliance with basic rules: prescription, hygienic. This condition applies regardless of what you are going to cook, be it soup or simple porridge.

The latter is not at all fashionable at the present time, despite its unconditional benefits. Lentil porridge is an unusual phenomenon, even strange by today’s standards.

This product has appeared on store shelves, people are slowly starting to remember it and eat it, becoming more sophisticated in its preparation.

There are a number of steps involved in cooking green lentils.

The first is the choice of cereal. Surprisingly, this product has a wide range and is represented by grains of various colors and sizes, that is, for every taste: green, red, black, brown, even yellow.

The color of a product determines its main characteristics and properties, in particular taste. What they have in common is that they are all full owners of plant proteins, healthy carbohydrates, and dietary fiber. When choosing cereals, you should be aware of the following facts; they must be checked before purchasing.

Before starting cooking, the lentils must be washed and sorted well.

The second stage is to boil water (the amount should be double the amount of lentils) and throw the finished cereal into it. People often don't know how long to cook green lentils. So, you need to cook it for about half an hour, stirring occasionally.

How to properly cook green lentils for a side dish

In a saucepan

Depending on the container in which the porridge will be prepared, there are separate rules for cooking it. Firstly, this type of legume is not pre-soaked. Secondly, lentil cereals are sent to boiled, unsalted water in a 1:2 ratio (green lentils / water).

Leave it on low heat (to maintain a boil) under the lid for thirty minutes. To give an unusual taste, you can add spices from aromatic herbs to the pan: cloves, sage, others to your taste, various sauces.

In the microwave

The method of cooking cereal in a microwave oven is as follows:

place the washed green lentils in a special microwave-safe glass container;
fill it with water (1.5-2 cm higher than the cereal), salt;
The container with lentils is placed in the microwave on the vegetable cooking mode for about 7-10 minutes.

Lentils in the microwave turn out unusually soft and crumbly.

How to cook green lentils with meat in a slow cooker

To prepare the lentil-meat dish you will need the following ingredients:

lentil cereal (green) – 250 gr.;
cold cuts – 0.5 kg;
onion – 1 medium sized head;
garlic – 1 small head;
tomato (250 gr.) or pasta – 50 gr.;
ordinary water – 0.5 l.;
spices, salt - to taste;
Sunflower oil - for frying.

The total amount of time spent on preparing green lentil porridge with meat will be about two and a half hours (including preparatory activities). The nutritional value of the dish (per 100 grams of weight) will be 127 kcal.

The process of directly creating a dish consists of the following procedures:

How to make green lentil soup

Soup made from green lentils will diversify your nutritious diet and even surprise your household.

The beneficial properties of lentil cereals help people with pulmonary diseases, blood pressure problems, stomach diseases, and others to recover faster.

Its price is slightly higher than the cereals we are used to, but it is worth it. This product should definitely be present on the table of people who care about their health.

To cook lentil soup, we will need:

By the way, the same soup (only lean) can be prepared without using meat broth. Tomato can also be added or not (optional). Its preparation time will be halved, and so will its calorie content. Although, broth contains 100 grams of calories. is only 85 kcal., and on water - 67.

The cooking process will take about two hours.

We clean, wash and chop all the necessary ingredients.
Pour water into a saucepan, add the meat cut into pieces, cook it until tender (at least 1 hour).
After 60 minutes, add washed lentil cereals to the meat.
During this time, we prepare the remaining products and re-fry them.
Pour vegetable oil into a frying pan and add chopped onion, fry until golden brown and add carrots, sauté a little and add tomato.
Simmer vegetables for 20-30 minutes.
20 minutes after cooking the lentils, cut the potatoes into cubes and throw them into the pan. In 15-20 minutes the potatoes will be ready.
Now you can add overcooking, spices, boil the soup for another 5-10 minutes, it’s ready.
Add greens.

Pour into plates and enjoy your healthy appetite!

Soaking will allow you to reduce the cooking time of green lentils (even 30 minutes is enough).
In order to give the cereal additional softness, add a tablespoon of vegetable oil to the water.
This product may well replace meat in terms of its nutritional properties.
Lentils lower blood sugar levels.
An environmentally friendly product, which is so important in the modern world. This is explained by the fact that no harmful substances accumulate in lentils.

Eat lentils, stay healthy!

The recipe for green lentil dishes is unjustifiably forgotten; they can rightfully stand at the head of the dinner table.

Lentil cereal is a unique product that should be present in the kitchen of any housewife.

The next video contains a recipe for cooking lentils in a slow cooker.