My basic recipe for cooking lentils perfect as a soup or as a base for appetizers, main courses, or side dishes.
Cooking dry lentils with soaking – Why soak lentils?
I know it’s often said that lentils don’t require soaking, but I invite you to give it a try: at our house, soaking is the first secret ingredient.
Lentils are my favorite legumes, but for years I struggled to digest them; prepared this way, they are digestible and light.
Choosing lentils
I prefer to buy locally sourced lentils, alternating between green, brown, red, and choosing between whole, hulled, or mixed.
Our favorites? The small lentils.
Cooking with an IMCO pot or traditional pot, no pressure cooker required.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 12 Hours
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 2 People
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- dry lentils (2 servings, weight according to dietary plan)
- 1 onion (blended or grated or whole)
- 1/4 cup water (+ as needed to cover)
- 1 broth cube (homemade vegetable or a celery stalk)
- as needed salt
- 1 drizzle extra virgin olive oil (raw)
I usually prepare more servings 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 regular
Preparation
Place the lentils on a work surface and carefully check them with your fingers, removing any impurities or small stones.
– soaking:
it serves to make the lentils soft and to release anti-nutrient substances in 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.Anti-waste tips
Use a fine mesh colander or ricotta molds to drain the legumes and collect the soaking water to water the plants; not for food use.The hydrated and cleaned lentils are ready to be poured into the pot.
Peel and wash the onion.
Blend or finely grate the onion or leave it whole if you prefer to remove it after cooking.In a pot:
– pour the onion and heat it;
– add 1/4 cup of water and gently stew.Pour the lentils and cover with 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 you to continue cooking with the flame off.
With IMCO pot
Cover with the lid and bring to a boil.
When a thread of steam escapes, turn off the flame.With a traditional pot
Continue cooking on low heat.Regardless of the pot
After 20 minutes, check the cooking of the lentils and add salt: now and not at the start of cooking to prevent the external shell of the legumes from hardening, making cooking longer.
If necessary, add more water and continue until the desired consistency: whole or mashed lentils.Your digestible and light lentils are ready.
In the basic recipe perfect as a soup or as a base for appetizers, main courses, or side dishes.
Plate and complete with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil raw to enjoy them at their best.
Enjoy your meal!
Pass the cooked lentils through a vegetable mill: ensures separation from the skins without the formation of air bubbles.
Or use hulled red lentils.
This procedure is also valid for hulled lentils and hulled peas or mixed legumes.
However, for chickpeas, beans, and fava beans, I prefer using a 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 a frozen mirepoix mix.
Cooking modifies the glycemic index of carrots: raw food GI 30, cooked food GI 85, but the amount used in the preparation is small and distributed among the portions; therefore, generally, the impact on blood sugar is negligible.
If you prefer, you can use a smaller quantity compared to onion and celery or omit it entirely.
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 them: it may involve 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 of the nutrients remain in the legumes themselves, and many of these substances would degrade anyway during freezing and subsequent reheating.
Let the legumes cool completely, drain them, and portion them.
If you want to recover everything, you can use the liquid immediately or freeze it separately.
When you defrost them, you can reintegrate the liquid by adding water or vegetable 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 there is room for expansion.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Tips on how to pair legumes
– legumes + cereals [example: bread, pasta, or rice], preferably choose whole grains;
– legumes + proteins.
Respect the proportions and combinations indicated in your dietary plan.
To delve deeper into the topic, read the article by clicking the following link: pairing legumes in the diet.How can I be sure that the lentils are of Italian origin?
Often, lentils are grown abroad and packaged in Italy.
Carefully check that the packages indicate:
Origin: Italy; Grown in Italy; 100% Italian product.
The label “EU” or “non-EU” means they come from different countries, for example, Canada.
