Read on to find out how to cook red lentils and discover plenty of red lentil recipes for inspiration.
How to cook dry red lentils
You may be aware that lentils are the dried seeds of the lentil plant. Whilst close cousins of beans, they cannot be eaten fresh like beans. After ripening, lentils are always dried, and then they’re cooked in their dried form, so they have to be approached differently. Firstly, when cooking red lentils, you’ll want to rinse them. Occasionally you might find a little debris in the lentils, so it’s recommended to rinse them in a mesh sieve and then you can easily remove any debris prior to cooking. It’s worth also taking a couple of minutes to run through your lentils and remove any potentially shrivelled lentils from the mix before cooking too. After rinsing, your lentils are ready for cooking and we’ve recommended boiling your lentils, as outlined in more detail below.
How to boil red lentils
If you’re wondering how to cook red lentils on the stove, then boiling is really the go-to option. Some chefs will guess the amount of water needed, simply making sure the lentils are fully covered by liquid in the pan, but others prefer a more precise approach. Roughly, you’ll need to work to around 24 oz of water per 7 oz red lentils, if you’d like to measure out the quantities. If you want to make mushier lentils, though, you can add more water to make them softer. The ratio we’ve shared will leave you with soft, creamy lentils that still hold some of their shape, so are the ideal consistency for adding to salads and soups. For a texture that’s closer to a purée, you’ll need to add more water than the amount we’ve suggested. Given the fact that lentils are packed full of vitamins and minerals, and cook to a soft texture, they can also be a great first food for baby weaning.
To cook, simply bring the red lentils to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cover with a lid. Once fully cooked, drain from the pan, and you can use straight away or mix with sauces and seasonings before adding to dishes. Whilst boiling in water is the straightforward method, you can also try boiling red lentils in stock to add more flavor. Or, you could try introducing aromatics to your lentils when they’re boiling. Ingredients like carrots, celery, bay leaves, and garlic can be added to the saucepan whilst the lentils are cooking and you can either leave them in to add to the flavors of the dish or remove after cooking.
How to stew red lentils
The action of stewing an ingredient quite literally means to slowly cook, covered, in liquid. Owing to the creamy, smooth nature of red lentils, they’re well suited to stews and add an irresistible, mouth-watering texture. To make a hearty red lentil stew at home, we’d recommend starting with sautéing chopped onion first, then adding a selection of seasonings and spices including garlic, ginger, ground cumin, ground turmeric, and sea salt. Bring all the flavors together with the red lentils, coconut milk, and diced tomatoes for an undeniably warming wintertime dish. Whilst you can always experiment with varying the ingredients in a stew, mixing up different spices or vegetables, we’d always recommend sticking to red lentils. Other varieties hold their shape and firmness too much to suit a stew, and you can find out all you need to know about the different types of lentils and their best uses in our helpful article.