How to Cook Lentils
111 Comments
Oct 01, 2023
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Learn how to cook lentils perfectly, so they don’t end up mushy. Lentils are nutrition powerhouses, inexpensive, and a staple in vegan and vegetarian recipes as they’re loaded with plant-based protein. Lentils come in a rainbow of colors and be used in a variety of recipes (see my ideas below!).
What Are Lentils?
Lentils are a small round legume and staple ingredient in many recipes throughout South Asia, West Asia and the Mediterranean. They’re inexpensive, versatile and can be stored for up to a year, which makes them a great pantry staple.
Lentils are also common in vegan and vegetarian cuisine because they’re high in fiber, carbohydrates and protein. In fact, they’re so high in protein (9g per ½ cup) that when readers ask me for a meatless alternative for my recipes I frequently recommend lentils. In other words, lentils will keep you full, healthy and energized.
How to Cook Lentils
When you’re cooking lentils on the stove make sure to choose green lentils, Lentils de Puy, brown lentils or black lentils. Red lentils are best reserved for soups, dals and curries as they’ll easily become mushy. Here’s how to cook lentils in 4 steps:
- Rinse the lentils in a fine mesh sieve under the faucet. While rinsing, make sure to pick out any bad lentils, debris or small stones which can sometimes sneak in.
- Add four cups of water and one cup of lentils to a pot. I also recommend adding a bay leaf and piece of kombu (see note below), though this isn’t required.
- Bring the pot to a boil. Then reduce to a very low simmer, cover, and set your timer for 20 to 30 minutes. The cook time will vary slightly based on the variety:
- Green Lentils: 18 to 20 minutes
- Lentils de Puy: 25 to 30 minutes
- Brown Lentils: 20 to 25 minutes
- Black Lentils: 25 to 30 minutes
- Drain the water from the lentils and discard the bay leaf and kombu, before using the cooked lentils in your favorite recipe.
Varieties of Lentils
There are a dozen or so varieties of lentils, but these are the ones I use most frequently and the more common ones you’ll find in your local market:
- Green Lentils: green lentils have a slight peppery flavor and maintain a medium to firm texture making them perfect for salads and side dishes.
- Lentils de Puy (French Green Lentils): Lentils de Puy are similar to green lentils but with a slightly firmer texture, more speckled appearance and they’re grown exclusively in France.
- Brown Lentils: brown lentils are the most common and easy to find, have a mild earthy flavor and hold their shape well, making them versatile for many recipes.
- Red Lentils: red lentils are often sold split, cook fast, have a sweeter flavor and soften up to the point of a puree, making them perfect for soups.
- Black Lentils (Beluga Lentils): black lentils have a rich earthy flavor, hold their shape and are so tiny and shiny they look amazingly similar to caviar.
Common Questions
No, you don’t need to soak lentils. When you cook other dried legumes and beans you typically need to soak them first. But because lentils are so small and cook quickly, you don’t need to soak them first.
Once you’ve brought the lentils to a boil, turn the heat as low as it’ll go. Sometimes this means switching to a smaller burner on your stove, so that you don’t over simmer the lentils. Simmering at too high a heat (and having them bounce around in the pot) is usually what leads to mushy lentils. They can overcook quickly, so keep an eye on the time.
While lentils have a natural earthy flavor, a bay leaf and piece of kombu seaweed adds more flavor to the tiny legume. Additionally, the enzymes in kombu break down the phytic acid in lentils making them more easily digestible (and you’ll end up less gassy).
STORAGE TIPS
- To store for the week: Let the cooked lentils cool to room temperature, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for 4 to 5 days. Perfect to enjoy throughout the week!
- To freeze for later: You can store cooked lentils in freezer-safe container. They’ll last for up to 3 months in the freezer.
- For reheating: Thaw any frozen lentils in the fridge overnight. Then reheat for a minute or two in the microwave, or add to your favorite recipes on the stove.
More Lentil Recipes and Ideas
Lentils are a blank slate for many recipes and a great way to add plant-based protein that won’t weigh you down.
- Lentil Soup – a reader favorite with Mediterranean flavor.
- Lentil Salad – a light and fresh salad with cucumber.
- Warm Sweet Potato Noodle, Cabbage and Lentil Salad – a warm salad perfect for winter.
How to Cook Lentils Perfectly (Not Mushy)
Description
Video
Instructions
- Rinse the lentils in a fine mesh sieve under the faucet. Inspect the lentils and remove any bad lentils or small stones.
- Add the lentils, water, bay leaf and kombu to a pot. Bring the pot to a boil, reduce heat to a very low simmer, cover the pot with a lid and cook for 20 to 30 minutes or until tender but not mushy.
- Drain the lentils, remove the bay leaf and kombu and serve.
Nutrition
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Recipe originally published February 2019, but updated to include new information for your benefit!
I’m Vary Thankful for your Rescipes, having (AKALEASHA) NOT being able to Swallow food without it getting Stuck.. I am Trying ALL of these Soups!! Thank You I Wouldn’t wish this Auto-Amume Disease on Anyone. But I now have ALL of These (Yummy Good) recipes that look “Delicioso” & I’m Sure, will be ( Oh so deliciousy)..👨🍳🍛🍲”Yum-Yum”!
excellent!
Followed the cooking time for puy lentils.. checked them after 20 mins .. recommended time was for 25-30 mins.. they were like mush.. and went straight into the bin.. not great as they cost me quite a bit to buy .. next time I shall try 10 mins!!!
This is an excellent basic recipe for cooking lentils perfectly, then add whatever you like.
I’ve made this recipe about 3 times; today is my 4th. I love the way they turn out- thank you
Made lentil recipes for a few years now but this one is definitely 5 star. Love , Love , Love it!
I cooked theses exactly as instructed and there was so much water left after simmering for 20 minutes and the lentils were super soft. I would do less water next time for sure! Delicious flavor, however!
Step 4 of the recipe instructions mentions to drain the lentils.
Love this guidance, Thankyou for sharing 😉
Glad this post was helpful Louise!
I love lentils, and this is a great guide on how to cook them. Still, I find you have to watch them like a hawk; one minute they’re nearly done, the next, they are overcooked.
At least they’re not like rice where you can’t uncover them (when using the absorption method). They are quite easy to cook once you get the hang of it.
I do add bay leaves to mine (have yet to try the kombu, but will) However, I never add any stock, salt, or any flavourings to my lentils, or rice. I like them clean and neutral, and will dress them in herbs, olive oil, vinegars and salt after they have cooked. But that’s just my way! :)
Could i increase the quantities for batch cooking and then freeze? I recently discovered green lentils in tins, but too expensive to keep buying. My orevious experience of red lentils turned out mushy. You explanations for the different coloured lentils and cooking times and uses are brilliant. Thank you!
Yes, absolutely! It’s a great meal prep recipe. :)
Hello! I’d love to try this, but I am in early pregnancy and sometimes have a bit of an aversion to seaweed products. I really like the idea of the easier digestion though – the last thing a pregnant lady needs is more gas, lol! My question is, does the kombu make the lentils taste of seaweed?
No, there’s no flavor or taste from the seaweed. Hope you enjoy!
I bought some kombu algae today,but the sachet says dont’t cook them and don’t use more than 10ml of the dashi broth per day because of the high amount of iodine.How can i lower the amount of iodine without loosing the effect of the enzymes?
One gram of raw dried kombu provides 1,542 micrograms of iodine. Cooking kombu reduces its iodine content. The company’s instructions are probably just erring on the side of caution to protect themselves. Search for JP-men “This is the basic cooking method for kelp soup stock.”
Years ago I had an unhappy experience with cooking lentils which turned out like a horrible grey mush.
Fortunately, your tips and recipe for cooking lentils has given me confidence to have another go and some rather more pleasing results.
Thank you, Stephen
Happy to hear this post has come in handy to give you confidence to cook lentils Stephen!
« Lentils de Puy (French Green Lentils): Lentils de Puy are similar to green lentils but with a slightly firmer texture, more speckled appearance and they’re grown exclusively in France. »
ummmmm, beautiful Puy lentils are grown in Canada, available everywhere here, and cost about a quarter of the price!
Are those brown or green lentils you are using? Mine look like that.
I’m using brown lentils :)
Thank you
I never cooked lentil with bay leave. I will try this yummy vegetrain dish as soon as possible and will add aBEY LEAVE to it.
love lentils and your recipe, I sometime combine it with quinoa, is delicious, thanks for your recipes.
I DO soak brown lentils by covering them with boiling water, leave them to stand for up to an hour, then, as you do, lightly simmer–but only for 5 or 6 minutes. They are still firm but just cooked
I needed some green lentils for a vegan goulash recipe but, I had never cooked lentils before on their own. I had red lentils in a chili once but wasn’t crazy about it so I’ve stirred clear of lentils since. I found your recipe and followed it but, id not add anything to the water since I was adding them to the goulash. Man! I didn’t realize how good green lentils are. I can totally see eating them as a soup on all their own. Thanks!
I love lentils but I can never find brown ones in a can… my question is though… if I’m going to use them in a Pumpkin-Lentil Lasagna… do I need to cook them for less time so they don’t go mushy? And if I freeze them, do I just thaw and then throw into my favourite recipe? Thanks!!
Hi Laura – it’s hard to say, as I’ve never made that recipe.
Turned out perfect! Thank you for sharing!
Hi Kathy- Glad this recipe helped you create the perfect batch of lentils! :)
I found information on this sight useful and easily understood a band a great attribute for the health of my family, cheers
Hi Nicole- I’m glad you find the tips useful throughout my channel!
You mention red lentil but didn’t give a cooking time. Based on looking at the recipe of the other lentils, I checked in on my pot at the 25 min mark, which worked out perfectly. I also made sure I chose a heat that didn’t cause them to “bounce” around and that descriptor made a lot of sense to me.
I made as directed with beef stock and I sauteed onion,carrots, sausage and a bit of tomato paste also a dash of r. Delicious, thanks.
Hi Kathleen- Wonderful! Glad you enjoyed this recipe :)
thank you. I succeeded.
Glad to hear this helped you create the perfect batch of lentils!
I loved the addition of kombu. If we don’t have access to that are there other things that can be added to breakdown Phytic acid
Hi Heidi – there may be, but unfortunately that’s the only item I’m aware of. Maybe a quick Google search can give you ideas! :)
Like the idea of using spaghetti squash to substitute for pasta.
Hi Lisa! I love all your recipes…Thank you! Can you soak lentils overnight for better digestion without them becoming mushy?
Hi Rhonda – you can soak them overnight, but I do find the longer you soak the more mushy they’ll become. If you decide to soak, they really only need 2-4 hours.
Can I use yaki nori instead of kombu
Hi Chrissie – I would stick to kombu for this.
hi lisa
can I use the yellow lentils instead of those you mentioned?
I thought I had the green ones but I only have yellow kinds.
help~
Hi Lisa – yes, you can use yellow lentils. Just be aware that yellow lentils tend to be softer, like red lentils.
I put my LENTILS in a CROCK POT
I use WATER, MINCED GARLIC, MINCED ONIONS, TUMERIC, ITALIAN HERBS, OTHER HERBS, FROZEN VEGETABLES, as for MEAT I do CHICKEN BREASTS, CHICKEN GIZZARDS AND HEARTS, GROUND CHICKEN to give them more protein
If you guys are vegetarian or vegan you can omit the meat
I sometimes use LENTILS as SLOPPY JOES with GROUND CHICKEN
I want my RECIPE in big LETTERS so people who can’t see well can see it
I am one of those people who can’t see well
Doing the small letters I had to rewrite a lot of words over
It’s funny to me to see people discover lentils because I’m Indian so I’m probably 95% dal at this point lol. Saw an interesting recipe in the NYT cooking for Red curry lentils with sweet potatoes and spinach, seems like something you might find interesting!
I have them more like a soup. My mother is French and that is how we always had them, with a dab of butter and salt. No other herbs.
Lentil soup is delicious as well!
After cooking as the recipe says, I do not drain, and I add butter. Very good.
Hi there- Glad this recipe worked out for you!
Can I use any ordinary seaweed in place of kombu specifically?
Hi Diana – I’ve only ever used kombu as it’s sold dried in the supermarket. I’d recommend doing some research online to see if other seaweeds are interchangeable. :)
Epazote is used in Mexico for cooking beans so I don’t see why it wouldn’t work for lentils
Hi Lisa,
I received a box of lentils from a neighbour lady who was travelling on.
About 2 or so cups, Cooked ,not mushy with pieces of cucumber (very few) but
with small sticks of Rosemary. ( I got the bottle also)
It was in her fridge. Not throwing good food out.
Even if I never had lentals.
Any suggestion as to what do I do now with them. I have kitchen and spices,( no kombu sorry)
Will look for it here in Merida, Mexico, Thanks John.
Hi John – if the lentils are cooked you can easily turn them into a salad recipe. I have a lentil salad recipe on my website, just search for lentils in the top search bar. :)
Hi, Lisa:
I discovered your site some time ago and on your recommendation bought the Kitchenaid mini so I could make the zucchini sheets! Still haven’t done that yet but it’s on my list!
Anyway, I am making a vegetarian version of your Shepherd’s pie and here is my question. I have a lot of French teeny green lentils that have been sitting around for a while and wonder if those are best to use. I am having a guest and want this to come out well. Do you think the French ones will work fine or should I get some regular lentils for best success? Thanks for your reply!
Hi Barbara – How exciting! Can’t wait for you to make the zucchini lasagna :) As for the Shepherd’s pie, French lentils work just fine! Enjoy the recipe.
My first time making lentils! I did not have kombu and don’t like bay leaves but I added just a bit of salt to the water and served with roasted veggies. Great directions to achieve the perfect non-mushy lentils. I’m so exited to use more plant-based protein in my diet. Thanks, Lisa!
Hi Stephanie – Happy to hear my instructions helped you create your first batch of lentils! Definitely a great way to add more protein into your diet :)
Ok Miss Lisa, I made these last night for dinner and they were perfect. I actually did not have kombu, but imo they still came out perfect. I turned the burner off right at 17 minutes, drained and stirred them into a mushroom and broccolini stir fry that I served with wild rice. I had never cooked wild rice so I got that recipe from your site and that came out perfect as well. Thanks for the recipe. My kids really liked this. My 2 year old was licking the bowl when he was finished.
Hi Nicole – Yay! Happy to know my recipes were approved by your children. That’s always a win :)
Hi! I’m wondering if cooking them in a broth would give them added flavor, have you ever tried that?
Hi Emily – yes, you can certainly cook them in broth as well. I’ve done that and it does add a bit more flavor. :)
What is kombu
I describe it in the post above. :)
I usually cook a large quantity of lentils and freeze them. I would like to try this recipe but I’m wondering if I’d need to double the kombu if I double the lentils and water?
Thanks!
It’s probably not necessary, but you certainly can if you’d like. :)
What can be used instead of kombu?
I’m not familiar with any alternatives to the kombu.
I wanted to learn how to cook lentils and came across your web-site. Just so happened to have bay leaves and kombu on hand, so I gave it a shot. Wow! Cannot believe how much flavor they imparted. I’ll be coming back to this recipe again and again. Thanks for sharing!
Awesome, Sara! I’m so glad you loved the bay leaf and kombu tip! :)
I haven’t tried the recipe yet, but it’s because I’ve made lentils in the past and had an INTENSE GASSY experience after. So much so that I’ve avoided them. But I was interested to hear that Kombu might help that. Thanks for this. I’m new to your page but am enjoying it.
Yes, you’ll have to give them a try with the kombu next time. And I’d recommend starting with a small quantity of lentils to see how your gut handles them. :) Glad you’re enjoying my site!
Simple things if unknown make life better for some. This information will surely help quite a few to make a healthy meal for them. Thank You.
That’s so very true! Thanks Veena. :)
I love lentils! It’s my favorite legume – such a great guide!
Thanks Natalie! I love lentils as well and they’re so versatile. :) I’m glad you found the post helpful!
I really enjoy reading everybody’s comments nice to see So many vegans in the world and vegetarians and people that want to experiment with things I used to do that in my life all the time and it was so much fun. That’s before we had smart phones now people leave comments and it’s just so enjoyable reading them it makes me feel like I’m not alone and what I’m doing thank you very much
THANK YOU! I’ve always cooked mushy lentils. Every single time. Your instructions finally broke me of it – thank you so much!
You’re more than welcome Tracy! Mushy lentils (unless they’re red lentils) definitely aren’t the best. I hope you have better lentil success in the future now! :)
Thanks for sharing these tips, cooking lentils can definitely be a scary thing especially if you’re new to them!
Yes, definitely. I remember when I first started cooking them. But after one or two tries it becomes second nature. :) Enjoy!
I didn’t realize that lentils varied so much in their consistency. Good to know. This is such a great resource to keep on hand. Thank you!
Yes, there’s many different colors and textures. It’s always best to pick the right lentil for the right recipe. :) Glad you enjoyed the info!