How to Cook Green Lentils

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No more mushy over cooked green lentils. Learn how to cook them perfect every time! 

Yield: ¾ cup dry lentils makes about 1 ½ cups cooked

Ingredients

  • ¾ dried lentils (green or brown)
  • 2 cups water
  • ½ onion, leave cut in half
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 bay leaf or ¼ tsp bay leaf powder

Instructions

  1. Before cooking the lentils, give them a quick look and remove any unwanted debris.
  2. 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. (see note below)
  3. Allow about 8-10 minutes to cook. It’s best to do a taste test for desired texture.
  4. Remove garlic, onion and bay leaf then strain lentils through a sieve.

Notes

  • 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.
  • Cooking water can be saved and used in dark broth soups.