How To Cook Red Lentils The Easy Way 4 One Pot Recipes

Since they lose their shape and become mushy as they cook, they are less suitable to be cooked on their own and used for salads and are better suited to make easy one-pot meals. Dietary Note: red lentils are suitable for a vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free diet.Don’t have time to read the full blog post? JUMP TO RECIPE HERE!

What are red lentils?

Do you have to soak red lentils before cooking?

How to cook dry red lentils

How to cook red lentils on the stovetop

How to add flavor to red lentils?

The best way to add flavor to boiled red lentils is to learn from Indian cooking and temper them (combine them) with a hot oil or butter-based liquid (tadka) infused with spices and herbs. They are sold dry in most supermarkets and are available in two forms:

Whole red lentils: they cook in 30 to 45 minutes and look brownish and round. Split red lentils: they cook in 8 to 15 minutes, are bright orange, and split in half.

In this blog post, we write about split red lentils (the bright-orange ones) since that’s what most people think of when talking about red lentils. The main advantage of split red lentils is their quick cooking time. Unlike brown, green, or black lentils, red lentils cook in 5 to 15 minutes, depending on how you like their texture. Split red lentils lose their shape as they cook and turn into a creamy, almost porridge-like consistency. That makes them excellent for soups and stews like our red lentil soup and Turkish red lentil soup, and all sorts of one-pot recipes, Indian curries, and lentil dahl. However, they are less suitable for use on their own in salads and other recipes where you need whole lentils that keep their shape. For that, we recommend using brown, green, black, or whole red lentils. Here’s our guide on how to cook brown lentils and black lentils if you are interested. Before cooking red lentils, we advise you to scan them for small stones hiding between them and rinse them under running water to remove small debris and dust particles.

What is the ratio of liquid to red lentils?

The liquid-to-red lentils ratio changes depending on the recipe you use them for. If you cook split red lentils on the stovetop without other ingredients except liquid, we recommend 1 cup of dried lentils for 3 cups of water or vegetable broth. If you cook them in a pressure cooker (Instant Pot), reduce the water to 2 cups for each cup of dry red lentils. However, we don’t recommend cooking them in a pressure cooker as they’ll come out overly mushy, almost liquid. Our advice is to follow a recipe developed for red lentils. They are all easy and in one-pot. For example:

Creamy Lentil Curry: A reader’s favorite recipe where red lentils are cooked in a creamy tomato and coconut milk sauce with Indian-inspired flavors. Turkish Red Lentil Soup: A beautifully smooth and creamy dish with Mediterranean flavor. Lentil Chili: Substitute red lentils for green lentils in the recipe. It’s a hearty Mexican-inspired recipe excellent with red lentils. Red Lentil Soup: comforting and hearty Italian flavors meet red lentils in a tasty and nutritious soup.

However, if you prefer cooking red lentils in a liquid, here’s how.

Lentil Curry

Turkish Lentil Soup

Lentil Chili

Red Lentil Soup

Add the red lentils to a plate and scan them for small stones or debris that might hide between them. Transfer them to a sift and rinse them under running water to remove dust and small debris. Add them to a pot with water or vegetable broth. Season the liquid with salt and black pepper. Optionally, add herbs or spices such as bay leaves, cumin, cardamom seeds, and rosemary. Bring the water to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer gently for 5 to 15 minutes, depending on the texture you aim for. The longer you simmer the lentils, the more water they’ll absorb and the mushier they’ll get. Tip: If you plan to use red lentils for salads (which we don’t recommend since they fall apart easily), cook them for 5 to 8 minutes, then drain them to remove excess water. If you want to eat them as a soup, cook them for 12 to 15 minutes or until they absorb all water.

Recipes with red lentils

Storage & Make Ahead

More cooking basics

Add your spices and herbs of choice and sauté them for a few seconds or until you smell their fragrant aroma. Pour the hot aromatic liquid on the cooked red lentils, stir, and enjoy! Here are some ideas for spices and herbs:

Indian-inspired: heat 2 to 4 tablespoons of olive oil, a teaspoon of coriander, 1/2 teaspoon of cumin, 2 cloves of grated garlic, 1 inch of grated ginger, and red pepper flakes to taste. You can also add curry leaves, mustard seeds, chili powder, curry powder, chopped onion, and other Indian spices. Italian-inspired: heat 2 to 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, then add a sprig of rosemary, 2 to 3 leaves of sage, a bay leaf, a clove of crushed garlic, and fry for about a minute or until fragrant. Top with fresh herbs like parsley.

Serving suggestions

You can make red lentils into a meal by serving them with:

Basmati rice, brown rice, pasta, toasted crusty bread, roti, naan, or pita bread. Greek yogurt or non-dairy yogurt. Fresh parsley or cilantro sprinkled on top. A squeeze of lemon juice or lime. Quick pickled red onions, jalapeños, or other pickles.

Creamy Lentil Curry with onion, garlic, ginger, cumin, turmeric, coriander, canned tomatoes, coconut milk, etc. Turkish Red Lentil Soup with onion, carrots, celery, garlic, cumin, tomato paste, potatoes, broth, etc. Lentil Chili with onion, garlic, bell pepper, paprika, oregano, beans, canned tomatoes, broth, etc. Red Lentil Soup with celery, carrots, onion, garlic, cumin, rosemary, bay leaves, canned tomatoes, broth, etc.

Questions

Refrigerator: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 4 to 5 days. Freezer: Let the lentils cool down completely, transfer them to a freezer-friendly container, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw & Reheat: Defrost the lentils in the fridge over several hours or overnight. Reheat in a saucepan on the stovetop, adding a dash of water. Or do so in the microwave at full powder for a couple of minutes.

How to cook white beans How to cook black beans How to cook black lentils. How to cook brown or green lentils. How to cook chickpeas. How to cook couscous. How to cook artichokes.

More lentil recipes

Find more wholesome and delicious lentil recipes with:

How to Cook Black Lentils

How to Cook Chickpeas

How to cook couscous

How to Cook Artichokes + Easy Recipes

Moroccan lentil soup. Curry lentil soup. Mujadara or Middle-Eastern lentils and rice. Italian lentil pasta. Lentil bolognese to use as a delicious pasta sauce. Mediterranean lentil and carrot salad. 20 easy lentil recipes.