No more mushy over cooked lentils. Learn how to cook them perfect every time!
Yield: ¾ cup (5 oz) dry lentils makes about 2 cups (about 10 oz) cooked
Ingredients
- ¾ cup dried lentils (green or brown)
- 3 cups water
- ½ onion, leave cut in half
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 bay leaf or ¼ tsp bay leaf powder
Instructions
- Before cooking the lentils, look through them and remove any unwanted debris. To wash lentils, put them in a large bowl where you can swirl the water around so loose particles can float to the top and be easily discarded.
- Add to pot the water, onion, garlic and bay leaf. Bring water to a rolling boil before adding the lentils, then turn down heat to simmer. Keep lid to pot ajar. (see tips below)
- When starting with boiling water, it will take only 8-10 minutes to cook. It’s best to do a taste test for desired texture.
- Remove garlic, onion and bay leaf then strain lentils through a sieve.
- Cooked this way, these lentils hold their shape and go well in a salad. They would also go well either as a side or tossed with any whole grain.
Tips
- For perfectly cooked lentils you want occasional lazy bubbles. You do not want the lentils bouncing around, this is key otherwise they tend to cook up mushy. This can be tricky when using an electric stove, as it takes a while for the heat element to adjust to a simmering temperature. A way around this is to preheat a different element to simmer, then transfer pot to a the simmering element after you add the lentils.
- This cooking water is full of flavor and nutrients. It can be saved (frozen) and used as a soup broth.