Cooked Lentils

While my favourite lentil is easily the french-style ‘puy’, pretty much all lentils can be cooked in this manner. You’ll just need to adjust the cooking time. Red lentils will cook more quickly whereas brown will probably take a little longer.

serves 2-4:
250g (9oz) small lentils
1 aromatic veg, peeled & diced
1 bay leaf, optional
2-3 tablespoons soy sauce
2-3 tablespoons acid

1. Rinse lentils and place in a medium saucepan with the aromatic veg and bay leaf.

2. Cover generously with water and bring to the boil.

3. Simmer, uncovered for 15-20 minutes or until lentils are tender.

4. Drain lentils and return to the pan. Season with soy, acid and a few tablespoons extra virgin olive oil.

Variations

lentils – all lentils are good here. Red lentils will cook quickly, and have the potential to turn to mush so be careful.

aromatic veg – onions are my favourite but celery or carrots would be good instead. Or use all 3.

bay leaf alternatives – rosemary, thyme.

soy-free – use something like Bragg’s liquid aminos or skip the sauce and use salt to season instead. Fish sauce will also work.

acid – sherry or rice vinegar and my favourites but red or white wine vinegar will work as well. Lemon juice could be used.

Leftover Potential?

Brilliant! Reheats really well. Great as a bake ahead dish and then just reheat in the oven, adding more liquid as needed.

Problem Solving Guide

mushy lentils – some lentils fall to mush very easily so you need to keep an eye on them. Next time only cook until they are al dente – so tender but still a little firm. The other option is to seek out French-style green lentils (also sometimes called puy lentils) or Italian castellecircco lentils. Both of these more expensive lentils have the advantage of not falling apart even when over cooked a little.

lentils taking forever to cook – the cooking time will vary greatly depending on the type of lentil and how long they’ve been sitting around for. I’ve also noticed that the less water you have available, the longer they take to cook so be generous with the water. You don’t need as much as you would for pasta but make sure your lentils have space to swim freely.

bland – lentils need generous seasoning which is why we’re using soy and vinegar. Feel free to add more. And don’t forget the salt.

crunchy lentils – just means your lentils are undercooked. You could pop them back in the saucepan with more water or just chalk it as a lesson for next time.

burning on the bottom – not enough water. Quick add some.