My basic recipe for cooking lentils perfect as soup or as a base for appetizers, first or second courses.
Cooking dried lentils with soaking – Why soak lentils?
I know it’s often said that lentils don’t require soaking, but I invite you to try it: at our house, soaking is the first secret ingredient.
Lentils are my favorite legumes, but for years I had trouble digesting them; prepared this way, they are digestible and light.
Choice of lentils
I prefer to buy locally sourced lentils varying between green, brown, red, and alternating whole, peeled or mixed.
Our favorites? The tiny lentils.
Cooking with IMCO pot or traditional pot, no pressure cooker required.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 12 Hours
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 2People
- Cooking methods: Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- dried lentils (2 servings according to dietary plan)
- 1 onion (blended or grated or whole)
- 3.38 fl oz water (+ enough water to cover)
- 1 broth cube (homemade vegetable or a celery stalk)
- q.b. salt
- 1 drizzle extra virgin olive oil (raw)
I usually prepare more portions to have a handy supply to freeze [meal prep].
Suggested Tools
- Knife
- Cutting Board
- 1 Colander fine mesh
- 1 Bowl or salad bowl
- 1 Pot IMCO or normal
Preparation
Recommended servings from healthy eating guidelines
– fresh, soaked or canned legumes: 5.29 oz;
– dried legumes: 1.76 oz.Quantities are always personal.
Spread the lentils on a surface and carefully check them with your fingers, removing any impurities or small stones.
– soaking:
this makes the lentils soft and allows anti-nutrient substances to be released in the water.
The soaking water should not be used for cooking.– add an onion.
– wash and rinse the dry lentils well until the water is clear;
– soak for about 12 hours, changing the water a couple of times;
– rinse the hydrated lentils well before cooking.Waste reduction tips
Use a fine mesh colander or ricotta baskets to drain the legumes and collect the soaking water to water plants; not for food use.
The hydrated and cleaned lentils are ready to be poured into the pot.Peel and wash the onion.
Finely blend or grate the onion or leave it whole if you prefer to remove it after cooking.In a pot:
– add the onion and heat it up;
– add 3.38 fl oz of water and stew gently.Pour the lentils and cover them with a thin layer of water.
Add a vegetable broth cube or a celery stalk.
I use an IMCO pot, a precious gift from my mother-in-law, which allows cooking to continue with the flame off.
With IMCO pot
Cover with the lid and bring to a boil.
When a thin stream of steam escapes, turn off the flame.With traditional pot
Continue cooking over low heat.No matter the pot
After 20 minutes, check the lentils’ cooking and add salt: now and not at the start of cooking to prevent the legumes’ outer shell from hardening, lengthening the cooking.
If necessary, add more water and continue until the desired consistency: whole or split lentils.Your digestible and light lentils are ready.
Perfect in the basic recipe as soup or as a base for appetizers, first or second courses.
Plate and finish with a drizzle of raw oil to enjoy them at their best.
Enjoy your meal!
Pass the cooked lentils through a food mill: ensures separation from the skins without forming air bubbles.
Or use peeled red lentils.
This procedure is also valid for peeled lentils and peas or mixed legumes.
For chickpeas, beans, and broad beans, I prefer to use the pressure cooker: it reduces cooking times and makes them softer and more digestible.
Storage, Tips, and Variations
Being a basic recipe, I only add the onion.
If you wish, you can add other vegetables: cleaned and chopped carrots and celery or frozen mixed soffritto.
Additionally, a few tablespoons of tomato sauce or chopped tomatoes.
Store the cooked lentils in airtight containers:
– in the fridge for up to 3-4 days;
– in the freezer for up to 3 months.
It is advisable to drain the legumes before freezing: it may cause a minimal loss of nutrients but in the context of freezer storage, it is a useful choice:
– better preservation without ice crystals;
– faster thawing;
– versatility: drained legumes are more practical to use in different recipes.
The amount of nutrients lost is minimal: most nutrients remain in the legume itself, and many of these substances would degrade during freezing and subsequent reheating anyway.
Let the legumes cool completely, drain, and portion them.
If you want to recover everything, you can use the liquid immediately or freeze it separately.
When defrosting, you can replenish the liquid by adding water or broth.
If you plan to use them in brothy dishes like soups or purees, you can freeze them with a little of their cooking liquid, ensuring the container is suitable and has space for expansion.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Tips on how to pair legumes
Recommended pairings:
– legumes + grains [example: bread, pasta, or rice], preferably choose whole grains;
– legumes + proteins.
Respect the proportions and combinations indicated in your dietary plan.
To explore the topic further read the article by clicking on the following link: Pairing legumes in the diet.How can I ensure that the lentils are of Italian origin?
Lentils are often grown abroad and packaged in Italy.
Carefully check that the packages indicate:
Origin: Italy; Grown in Italy; 100% Italian product.
The wording “EU” or “non-EU” means they come from different countries, e.g., Canada.How many grams of lentils per person?
Recommended servings from healthy eating guidelines
– fresh, soaked or canned legumes: 5.29 oz;
– dried legumes: 1.76 oz.
Quantities should always be adapted to one’s nutritional needs.Why soak lentils?
Soaking makes lentils soft and allows anti-nutrient substances to be released in the water.
The soaking water should not be used for cooking.How to make lentils more digestible?
– soaking;
– add an onion.How to reduce the fiber in legumes?
Pass the cooked lentils through a food mill: ensures separation from the skins without forming air bubbles.
Or use peeled red lentils.
