Best Lentil Food

THE BEST LENTIL SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large heavy-bottom pot over medium-high heat. Add the carrot, onion, celery and 1 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are starting to caramelize and take on a dark brown color, 8 to 10 minutes (this step is important as it will add tons of flavor to your soup!).
• Stir in the tomato paste and garlic and cook, scraping up the brown bits, until the garlic is fragrant and slightly softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Add in the lentils, stock, 4 cups water, thyme, bay leaf, oregano, red pepper flakes, lemon zest, 2 teaspoons salt and a generous amount of black pepper and stir to combine. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook until the lentils are softened with just a bit of bite, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Remove the bay leaf. Puree 2 1/2 cups of the soup in a blender until smooth then stir back into the pot. Stir in the lemon juice and parsley. Ladle into bowls and garnish with more parsley.

QUICK LENTIL CURRY (& MORE LENTIL RECIPES!)

Steps:

• Make the rice according to How to Cook Basmati Rice (or Instant Pot Rice).
• Place the lentils in a saucepan with 6 cups warm water. Bring to a low boil, then boil for about 20 minutes until tender (taste to assess doneness). Drain, then add a few pinches of salt.
• Meanwhile, wash the greens, remove the stems and chop the leaves. (If using prewashed baby spinach, you can skip this step.) In your largest skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the greens and sauté for several minutes until tender and bright green.
• When the lentils are done, add them to the skillet with the greens. Over medium high heat, stir in the coconut milk, Thai red curry paste, tomato paste, kosher salt, and fresh ground black pepper. Cook for a few minutes until heated through and the sauce is thickened.
• Taste and add a few pinches of salt if desired. Serve with rice.

BEST LENTIL SOUP

Steps:

• Warm the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium heat. One-fourth cup olive oil may seem like a lot, but it adds a lovely richness and heartiness to this nutritious soup.
• Once the oil is shimmering, add the chopped onion and carrot and cook, stirring often, until the onion has softened and is turning translucent, about 5 minutes.
• Add the garlic, cumin, curry powder and thyme. Cook until fragrant while stirring constantly, about 30 seconds. Pour in the drained diced tomatoes and cook for a few more minutes, stirring often, in order to enhance their flavor.
• Pour in the lentils, broth and the water. Add 1 teaspoon salt and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Season generously with freshly ground black pepper. Raise heat and bring the mixture to a boil, then partially cover the pot and reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the lentils are tender but still hold their shape.
• Transfer 2 cups of the soup to a blender. Securely fasten the lid, protect your hand from steam with a tea towel placed over the lid, and purée the soup until smooth. Pour the puréed soup back into the pot. (Or, use an immersion blender to blend a portion of the soup.)
• Add the chopped greens and cook for 5 more minutes, or until the greens have softened to your liking. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Taste and season with more salt, pepper and/or lemon juice until the flavors really sing. For spicier soup, add another pinch or two of red pepper flakes.
• Serve while hot. Leftovers will keep well for about 4 days in the refrigerator, or can be frozen for several months (just defrost before serving).

LENTIL CURRY - MEGA FLAVOUR LENTIL RECIPE!

Steps:

• Saute onion: Melt butter in a pot over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and ginger. Slowly cook, stirring every now and then, for 10 minutes until tinged with gold and the onion is sweet.
• Cook off spices: Turn heat up to high, add curry powder and turmeric, stir for 1 1/2 minutes.
• Add everything else: Add remaining ingredients and stir. Bring to simmer, then place lid on and adjust heat to low / medium low so it's simmering gently.
• Simmer: Simmer for 30 minutes, then remove lid and simmer for a further 10 minutes to reduce the sauce. {Note 2 for cook times of other lentils}
• Lentils should be soft, sauce should be thickened and creamy. Too thick, add water. Too thin, simmer with lid off - thickens quickly.
• Coriander: Stir through half the coriander, then taste and add more salt if needed.
• Serve over basmati rice, sprinkled with more coriander and a dollop of yogurt. (Low carb option - cauliflower rice).

HOW TO COOK LENTILS PERFECTLY (NOT MUSHY)

Steps:

• Rinse the lentils in a fine mesh sieve under the faucet. Inspect the lentils and remove any bad lentils or small stones.
• Add the lentils, water, bay leaf and kombu to a pot. Bring the pot to a boil, reduce heat to a very low simmer, cover the pot with a lid and cook for 20-30 minutes or until tender but not mushy.
• Drain the lentils, remove the bay leaf and kombu and serve.

LENTIL SOUP

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add garlic and onion, cook for 2 minutes.
• Add celery and carrot. Cook for 7 - 10 minutes or until softened and the onion is sweet. Don't rush this step, it is key to the flavour base of the soup.
• Add all remaining ingredients except the lemon and salt. Stir.
• Increase heat and bring to simmer. Scoop scum on the surface off and discard (do this again during cooking if required). Place lid on and turn heat down to medium low. Simmer for 35 - 40 minutes or until lentils are soft.
• Remove bay leaves.
• Thicken Soup: Using a stick blender, do 2 or 3 quick whizzes to thicken the soup (see video below). Or transfer 2 cups to a blender, let it cool slightly, then hold lid with tea towel and blend then transfer back into pot.
• Add a touch of water if you want to adjust soup consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Grate over the zest of the lemon then add a squeeze of lemon juice just before serving. Garnish with parsley if desired and serve with warm crusty bread slathered liberally with butter!

25 MUST-TRY LENTIL RECIPES!

Steps:

• Place lentils, water and salt in a medium pot over high heat.
• Add any optional aromatics, and bring to a boil.
• Cover, lower heat and simmer gently until cooked through. The goal here is to get them tender, yet still hold their shape.
• Drain and use in other recipes.
• Cooked lentils will keep up to 4 days in the fridge, or can be frozen!
• Split lentils cook the fastest- check at 15 minutes! Small lentils take roughly 20 minutes, large brown lentils roughly 30-35 minutes. The smaller the lentils, the faster they cook, so just keep checking!

BEST EVER LENTIL SOUP

Steps:

• Put water and lentils in large pot. Bring to boil and then simmer for 20 minutes stirring occasionally, till lentils are tender.
• When this is almost done, saute onion, garlic and carrot till onion is slightly golden. Add this to the soup after it has simmered for 20 minutes Also add the spices and boullion and simmer for 5 minutes.
• Take off heat and add the lemon juice.
• Stir and serve.
• We love to eat this with pita bread and have dates for dessert. The perfect meal!

18+ BEST LENTIL RECIPES (+LENTIL NACHOS)

Steps:

• After cooking the lentils in the broth and enchilada sauce, make your cheese sauce.
• Add the chips to a baking sheet, then top with ingredients and bake until cheese has melted.

THE BEST LENTIL SALAD, EVER

Steps:

• Rinse lentils well, drain. Place in a pot and cover with a 3-4 inches of water, bring to a boil, reduce to simmer. Check lentils for doneness after 15 minutes, but they should take about 20 minutes in total. You will know they are cooked if they still retain a slight tooth - al dente! Overcooking the lentils is the death of this dish. Be careful!
• While the lentils are simmering, make the dressing by placing all ingredients in a jar with a tight fitting lid and shake vigorously to combine.
• Finely dice red onion - the salad is best if all the ingredients are about the same size. If using raisins, chop them roughly to make them a bit smaller, and do the same with the capers if they are large.
• When the lentils are cooked, remove from heat, drain and place under cold running water to stop the cooking process. Once cooled slightly but still a little warm, place lentils in a large serving bowl and toss with dressing. Add other onion, capers, and currants. If using other add-ins such as herbs, greens, or cheese, wait until just before serving. Otherwise, this salad can hang out in the fridge for a couple days.