• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Jersey Girl Cooks
  • About
  • Recipes
  • SUBSCRIBE
  • Contact
menu icon
go to homepage
  • About
  • Recipes
  • SUBSCRIBE
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • About
    • Recipes
    • SUBSCRIBE
    • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×
    Home » Cooking and Food Tips

    How To Cook Lentils

    First Published: March 4, 2022 . Last Modified: March 4, 2022 lisa9 Comments This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Knowing how to cook lentils to make sure that they’re perfect for your meals can be tricky, however once you know how to do it , it's really not that complicated. You will love these delicious legumes and all the recipes that go with them.

    pot of cooked lentils

    What are lentils?

    Lentils are a small type of legume. A legume is a plant or class of vegetables that contains an edible seed that is, itself, protected by a surrounding outer skin. They can be sold with or without that seed coat, as well as whole or split.  

    The inner section is a wonderful source of protein, and the outer shell skin is a wonderful source of fiber. Combined, this means they are a powerful source of nutrition to have in your pantry. They also contain B vitamins and are a good food to fight heart disease. They are perfect for vegan or vegetarian diets.

    You can buy precooked lentils in a can or package however I love using dried ones and cooking them myself. This pantry staple is a common ingredient in Indian dishes and Middle Eastern cuisine but also a great side dish for dinner.

    What do lentils taste like?

    This is a bit of a tricky question to ask since there are so many different types (we’ll talk about that in a little bit). Lentils have an earthy flavor but tend to absorb a lot of cooking liquid during the cooking process, so any dish containing them will have wonderful flavor from the seasonings they are cooked with.

    They are a great vessel for all my favorite spices and flavors. I like to cook my lentils in chicken or vegetable stock and add fresh herbs or bay leaves to the cooking liquid.

    With those qualifiers in place, certain lentils do have generally different tasting notes. For example, the brown ones taste quite earthy, green ones taste peppery, and red ones are on the milder but sweet tasting side. These notes come out best when the legumes are cooked exclusively in water, so they aren’t flavored by any external spices or herb.

    multi colored lentils

    Types of Lentils

    There are many varieties of lentils out there - twelve, to be exact. However, it’s unlikely that you’ll use all of those during your cooking experiments. Instead, I will take you through a few of the different types of lentils you will see in your grocery store or market.

    Brown Lentils

    This type of lentil is probably the most common of all. They hold their shape well while they’re cooking, plus they have a fairly even, mild, and simple flavor that makes them pleasantly versatile. The primary flavor of brown basic lentils would best be described as earthy and creamy.

    They work well as a stand-alone side dish, though they can be used by being tossed in salads, added to soups for heartiness, and pureed and seasoned into an interesting sauce.

    Red Lentils

    Red lentils vary in color from an orange yellowish color to bright red. They have a sweeter flavor overall, and they tend to break down almost completely during the cooking process. Because of this, they are often used for soups, Indian dal, and curries. These don’t have a protective coat, so they typically don’t take very long to cook.

    red lentils

    Green Lentils

    Quite similar to the brown variety, they are a pale green-brown color, similar to dried peas. They stay relatively firm during the cooking process, and when fully cooked they typically have quite a mild and neutral flavor. They remind me a lot of yellow split peas and I sometimes substitute them in my Split Pea Soup with Ham recipe. They are a bit more convenient also as the cooking time is a bit less.

    Lentilles du Puy

    These tiny legumes are olive-green with black mottling across the surface. They generally taste quite vibrant and powerful, which is said to be due to the properties of the soil in the Puy region of France, where they’re grown. I have never tried these before but it's on my bucket list to go to France so that might be the time.

    They are well-rounded, which means that they hold up the best during the cooking process. For the purposes of cooking, it’s worth bearing in mind that these lentils are quite similar to the green variety, though they’re grown in a different way that is specific to their region.

    In terms of flavor, they are quite unique. They’re peppery, and have a high mineral content - all thanks to the volcanic soil they’re grown in. The hearty size and flavor complement meat dishes well, or it works well as a side dish.

    French Green Lentils

    This type of French lentils look very similar to de Puy lentils! They have a less intense peppery taste, and they hold their shape well during cooking. Their final texture is typically pleasantly toothsome, which makes them a great addition to soups and stews.

    These are generally seen as a handy, affordable alternative to Lentilles du Puy.

    Black Lentils

    Also called black Beluga lentils, they are black and shiny and hold their shape well. They look quite like caviar or small black beans once cooked! Their texture is quite soft, and their flavor is quite deep and robust. Overall, they’re a good all-rounder, since they cover a lot of texture and flavor bases - they’re used for a great number of things.

    Prepping Tips

    Dried lentils need to be rinsed to remove any dust or dirt.. Since they are a natural product that’s often simply dried in the sun, they can accumulate some dirt during the process. Rinsing them allows you to make sure there is no grit on them. It is also a good idea to quickly scan them to make sure there is no small rocks other debris. Unlike some other dried legumes, they do not need to be soaked.

    The best way to rinse them is to simply put them in a colander or strainer and under some cold water. Make sure the colander or strainer has small holes as you don't want any slipping through.

    lentils being rinsed in a colander

    How long to cook lentils

    Different types take different times to cook but as a rule of thumb, hulled varieties will take a lot less time to cook than their shell-bearing counterparts. The outer shell is what takes the longest to cook. Also keep in mind that there are whole lentils and split ones. The split ones will take much less time to cook and can be done in as little as 8 minutes.

    Here’s a handy list of cooking times to keep things straight in your head.

    • Brown and black lentils : 20-30 minutes
    • Red lentils: approx. 15 minutes
    • Green lentils: 10-20 minutes
    • Lentilles du Puy: 20-40 minutes
    • French Green lentils: approx. 20 minutes
    pot cooking

    Steps to cooking lentils

    1. Fill a pot of water (or broth) and add the rinsed lentils to a pot along with any seasoning.
    2. Bring to a boil and cook to a low simmer. Cook lentils al dente or longer for a softer texture depending on what you prefer.
    3. Drain and serve.

    Precooking and Storing Tips

    Lentils can be precooked and kept refrigerated or frozen to quickly add to soups, stews or salads. For best results, I like to slightly undercook them al dente so they don't get mushy when I add them to a recipe.

    I also keep different type of lentils frozen so they are ready to make veggie burgers or lentil sloppy joes. Just follow the cooking instructions then cool.

    Store in an airtight container in your fridge for up to 3 days or store in the freezer for up to 2 months. So convenient!

    pot of soup

    Lentil Recipes

     Here are some of my favorite recipes.

    • Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers with Lentils and Rice
    • Easy Lentil Bognese via Souffle Bombay
    • Spicy Lentil Soup with Chicken Sausage
    • Vegetarian Lentil Tostadas via Grumpy's Honeybunch     
    • Asparagus and Green Lentils with Poached Eggs via Skinny Gourmet

    I hope that you’ve learned enough about this legume so that you will start cooking with them more often! Check out my basic lentil recipe below.

    Print Recipe
    5 from 9 votes

    Perfectly Cooked Lentils

    Lentils are great to pre cook for soups, salads and side dishes. When they are cooked right, they have a creamy texture and nutty flavor
    Prep Time5 minutes mins
    Cook Time30 minutes mins
    Course: basic cooking, Side Dish
    Cuisine: American, French
    Servings: 6
    Cost: $3

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups dried lentils
    • 1 pot water
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • optional seasoning (bay leaf, dried Italian seasoning, etc)

    Instructions

    • In a medium saucepan, combine the dried lentils and water. Bring the pot to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 30 minutes (depending on the type of lentils). They should be cooked until tender but not mushy. Drain and let cool. They can be used in any recipe that calls for cooked lentils.

    Notes

    Cooking time can vary on lentils. If they are dried and bought in a package, always check the cooking time on the label.
    Lentils can be stored in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for 2 to  3 months.

    Subscribe to Jersey Girl Cooks if you would like more recipes and cooking tips sent to your email. You can also order my Super Easy Cookbook for Beginners and follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.

    « Easy Air Fryer Hard Boiled Eggs
    Southwest Chicken Tortilla Soup »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Paula

      May 03, 2024 at 3:44 pm

      5 stars
      I've been wanting to eat more lentils because the nutritional benefits are just unmatched! Thank you for this easy recipe so I can make them at home.

      Reply
    2. Elisa

      May 03, 2024 at 4:03 pm

      5 stars
      Oh wow, such great information, did not know there were so many colors of lentils and the amount of time is good to know. Thanks for sharing 🙂

      Reply
    3. Jill

      May 03, 2024 at 4:03 pm

      5 stars
      I've never cooked lentils from dry before. Your recipe was so helpful! I always wondered why you should rinse them too! Thank you for your help.

      Reply
    4. Nathan

      May 03, 2024 at 4:10 pm

      5 stars
      This is such a helpful guide! I don't cook lentils all that often so I definitely needed the refresher on the best ways to cook them. Thanks for all the tips!

      Reply
    5. Erik

      May 03, 2024 at 7:23 pm

      5 stars
      Love eating lentils, now I can cook them too! Opens up so many possibilities for me.

      Reply
    6. Heather

      May 07, 2024 at 9:21 pm

      5 stars
      Quick and easy lentils, you can't beat 5-minute prep! Thanks so much!

      Reply
    7. kushi

      May 07, 2024 at 10:54 pm

      5 stars
      LOve the tips and tricks on how to cook any lentils. Thanks for sharing.

      Reply
    8. Harriet Young

      May 08, 2024 at 12:53 am

      5 stars
      Great tips, thank you! This was so helpful.

      Reply
    9. Adri

      May 08, 2024 at 2:57 am

      5 stars
      I never realised it's this easy to cook dried lentils. The recipe works like a charm, every time. I'll never buy them canned again!

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Lisa

    I love creating recipes and cooking for my family and friends. It's great to bring everyone to my kitchen to talk, laugh and eat. I also like to spread my love for cooking to others. So grab an apron and let's do it together. I promise my recipes will be easy and delicious!

    More about me

    Jersey Girl Cooks is a participant in affiliate programs including the Amazon Associates program. I may earn a small commission if you purchase through links in my website with no extra cost to you, the consumer.

    Footer

    freebie!

    Subscribe for Your Free eBook: 5 Pantry Friendly Dinners

    Subscribe for free!
    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer
    • Terms & Conditions

    Contact

    • Media Kit
    • FAQ

    Copyright © 2024 Jersey Girl Cooks • As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. • Powered by Feast+

    GDPR Privacy Policy