Lentils are the best-value ingredient in the grocery store. At $2.50 for a 900g bag — which provides 10-12 servings of high-protein, high-fibre food — there's nothing else in the grocery store that even comes close on a nutrition-per-dollar basis.
The reasons people don't cook them: they're not sure how, they think they take forever, and they associate them with bland health food. All three of these objections are easy to solve.
The lentil varieties and what they're for
Red lentils: These are the easiest to work with. They cook in 15-20 minutes and fall apart completely into a thick, creamy consistency. Perfect for soups, curries, dals, and sauces. They will not hold their shape — use them when you want a thick, smooth result.
Green and brown lentils: These hold their shape after cooking, making them suitable for salads, grain bowls, stews, and any dish where you want distinct lentils rather than a puree. They take 25-30 minutes.
Black (Beluga) lentils: Hold their shape the best, have a slightly firmer bite, and look dramatic in salads. Typically more expensive — not the budget option, but worth knowing about.
For budget cooking, red lentils and green/brown lentils cover 95% of applications.
Do lentils need to be soaked?
No. Unlike dried beans (chickpeas, black beans, kidney beans), lentils cook quickly enough that soaking is unnecessary.
Just rinse them under cold water and cook.
How to cook red lentils
Method:
- Rinse 1 cup red lentils in a fine-mesh strainer under cold water
- Combine with 2.5 cups water or broth in a pot
- Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cook 15-20 minutes stirring occasionally
- They're done when they've collapsed into a thick, porridge-like consistency
- Season with salt and any flavourings
Yield: ~2.5 cups cooked lentils (about 3-4 servings)
Note: Don't add salt until after cooking — salt added early can toughen the lentils slightly.
Red lentils absorb flavour beautifully. The single best upgrade: sauté a chopped onion and 2 garlic cloves in oil before adding the lentils and water. Add cumin and turmeric. The result is completely different from plain boiled lentils.
How to cook green or brown lentils
Method:
- Rinse 1 cup lentils
- Combine with 2.5 cups water or broth
- Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cook 25-30 minutes
- They're done when tender but still holding their shape
- Drain any excess liquid, season with salt
Yield: ~2-2.5 cups cooked lentils
Test a lentil at 25 minutes. It should be tender with a slight bite, not mushy. If still firm, cook 5 more minutes and check again.
Five simple things to make with lentils
Red lentil soup: Sauté onion + garlic + cumin + turmeric, add lentils + canned tomatoes + water, simmer 20 minutes, finish with lemon juice. Done.
Red lentil dal: Same as above with more spices (garam masala, ginger, chili), finished with a temper of mustard seeds in oil poured on top.
Lentil bolognese: Sauté vegetables, add green lentils + canned tomatoes + broth, simmer 30 minutes. Serve over pasta. Nobody misses the meat.
Lentil salad: Cook green lentils, toss warm with vinaigrette, chopped parsley, onion, and any vegetables. Serve at room temperature.
Lentil and rice (mujaddara): Cook rice and green lentils together in broth with caramelized onions. Middle Eastern comfort food at its cheapest.
Storing cooked lentils
Cooked lentils keep in the fridge for 5 days and freeze well for 3 months. Batch cooking a large pot on Sunday means you have fast, cheap protein available all week — for soups, grain bowls, or as a pasta protein.
A $2.50 bag of dried lentils cooked in bulk represents roughly $0.25 per serving of complete, filling, high-protein food. Once you start cooking them regularly, the math makes it hard to go back to buying protein at 5-10x the cost.