How to cook red lentils?

All you need to know on how to cook red lentils easily on stove top, including health reasons as to why you should soak lentils, health benefits, nutrition, lentil to water ratio, how to season lentils and more.

Lentils (or pulses) are dried seeds of the lentil plant that is native to the Middle East and their cultivation later spread to North Africa and Europe.

There are different types of lentils, including red lentils, green lentils, brown lentils, yellow lentils and black lentils.

Red lentils (also called masoor dal) are the variety that cooks the fastest and are the tastiest in our opinion. They are also the ones we use in our Red Lentil Baby Soup (which is great for adults) and the Red Lentil Vegan Bolognese with Vegetables.

Red lentils sold in store cook faster than other varieties of lentils because they are actually red split lentils which means their seed coats has been removed and they have been split in half.

Jump to:

• What do lentils taste like?
• Health benefits and nutrition of red lentils
• Do you soak lentils?
• Lentil to water ratio
• How to cook red lentils?
• How to make Instant Pot red lentils?
• How to season lentils?
• How to store red lentils?
• Tips
• Latest recipes
• How to cook red lentils?
• Comments

What do lentils taste like?

Color and taste vary depending on the variety you choose.

Red lentils have an earthy, sweet and nutty flavor.

Health benefits and nutrition of red lentils

Red lentils are a great plant-based source of protein. One cup of cooked red lentils has 17.8 grams of protein and 230 calories.

They are a great source of folate, iron, potassium, phosphorus, fiber, and a good source of magnesium. They are also low in sodium and saturated fat.

Due to their excellent nutritional profile they are a great food for babies and toddlers.

Do you soak lentils?

Lentils do not need to be soaked beforehand from a culinary perspective, but from a health perspective it is recommended in order to neutralize phytic acid.

Lentils are high in phytate or phytic acid - an antinutrient that takes the minerals in your food and carries them out of your body, so they don't stay.

Lentils also have a tendency to cause flatulence when ingested and soaking can reduce that risk.

In order to neutralize phytic acid you want to soak your lentils in acidic water (a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice) for about 6 hours.

Lentil to water ratio

• Stovetop red lentils to water ratio is 1:3 so for every 1 cup of dried lentils you need 3 cups of water.
• Instant pot red lentils to water ratio is 1:2½ so for every 1 cup of dried lentils you need 2 ½ cups of water.

How to cook red lentils?

You can either soak red lentils beforehand to neutralize the phytic acid, or from a culinary perspective you do not need to. Either way the cooking process is the same, but soaked lentils will have a shorter cooking time.

The red lentils to water ratio is 1:3, so for every 1 cup of dried lentils you need 3 cups of water.

We will show you how to do it in an instant pot and on stovetop. Cooking on stovetop gives you more control over the texture of the lentils.

Red lentils tend to turn out mushy when fully cooked, so if you don't want them mushy you have to keep an eye out for them

1. If presoaking then presoak for 6 hours in water + 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar of lemon juice.
2. Rinse to remove any debris.
3. Place the lentils in a large stove and add water at 1:3 ratio (3 cups water for 1 cup dried red lentils) and a bit of salt.
4. Bring to boil.
5. Reduce heat to low, cover and leave to simmer for about 5-12 minutes depending on how you want the texture to be. (5-7 min - firm; 8 min - soft; 9 min - getting mushy)

How to make Instant Pot red lentils?

1. If presoaking then presoak for 6 hours in water + 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar of lemon juice.
2. Rinse to remove any debris.
3. Place the lentils and 2 ½ cups water in the instant pot and stir. If adding seasonings add now (more on how to season lentils below).
4. Set on high pressure cook for 3 minutes for textured or 4 minutes for tender.
5. Once completed allow the pressure to naturally release for 15 minutes and then release any additional pressure. When removing lid be careful so that no additional steam hurts you.

How to season lentils?

There are many different ways to seasons lentils, depending on what type of dish you are making.

Sauteed onion and garlic: saute onion and garlic until translucent before adding lentils and water; finish with some lemon juice

Spices: Any curry spices, turmeric, ginger, cumin, cilantro and chili work great. Add those after sautéing onion and garlic for depth of flavor.

Herbs: fresh parsley, dill, cilantro

Toppings: feta cheese or any full fat hard grated cheese works wonderfully with cooked lentils.

How to store red lentils?

• Fridge: store in airtight container up to 5 days
• Freeze: store in freezer up to 3 months
• Reheat: once thawed, add to a saucepan with a tablespoon of water on medium heat until heated through.

Tips

• great plant based protein to add to any meal
• to neutralize phytic acid you want to soak your lentils in acidic water (a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice) for about 6 hours.
• rinse before cooking to remove debris
• red lentils to water ratio is 1:3, so for every 1 cup of dried lentils you need 3 cups of water
• cooking time will depend on the texture you want
• add seasonings such as first sautéing garlic and onion, adding curry spices, turmeric, ginger, cilantro, fresh parsley, cumin and topping with feta or grated hard cheese

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