HOW TO COOK LENTILS
This post is all about How to Cook Lentils! Perfectly cooked lentils should be tender, without falling apart, and well-seasoned. This tutorial walks you through our two favorite cooking methods for green and brown lentils, along with all the best tips for making them!
Servings: 2 -1/2 cups
Ingredients
For Lentils in the Instant Pot:
- 1 cup lentils picked through and rinsed
- 2 cups water or broth
- 1 bay leaf or 3 sprigs of thyme optional
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil optional
For Lentils on the Stove:
- 1 cup lentils picked through and rinsed
- 2 cups water or broth more as needed
- 1 bay leaf or 3 sprigs of thyme optional
- 1 shallot peeled (optional)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil optional
Instructions
How to Cook Lentils in the Instant Pot:
- Add lentils, water and herbs (if using) to the liner of an Instant Pot.
- Close the lid and set to sealing. Cook on manual high pressure for 5 minutes with a natural release of 5 minutes. Then release any remaining pressure. Discard herbs.
- Immediately transfer lentils to a strainer, to strain and excess liquid (there might not be any). Place drained lentils in a bowl, and season with salt.
- If serving lentils as is, gently stir in some oil, ground black pepper and additional fresh herbs, if desired.
To Cook Lentils on the Stove:
- Add lentils, water, herbs and shallot (if using) to a medium pot. Turn on heat and bring lentils to a rolling boil.
- Once boiling, cover and reduce heat to let simmer gently for 20-30 minutes until lentils are tender but not mushy. Occasionally check lentils to see if the water has evaporated, adding more water as needed.
- Remove from heat, discard herbs and shallot (if using) and strain lentils. Place lentils in a bowl and add salt.
- If serving as a side dish, add olive oil, and additional seasonings such as black pepper and fresh herbs, as desired.