How to cook lentils for a side dish. How to cook lentils as a side dish: the most delicious recipes

Lentils are a favorite product of those who prefer to use natural, healthy foods in their diet. In terms of nutritional properties, this variety of legumes ranks first among similar crops. But, before serving, you need to know how to prepare lentils as a side dish so that they retain their taste and benefits.

Lentils have a lot of useful and unique properties. It contains a large amount of protein, which eliminates the feeling of hunger for a long time. Lentils are an excellent natural antidepressant. It is recommended to be consumed for diabetes, problems of the cardiovascular system and digestive disorders. It is especially useful for women to include lentils in their diet, as they are an excellent prevention of breast cancer.

The vegetable is very good as a side dish for meat or fish dishes; it goes well with pumpkin, cabbage, and potatoes. To serve with poultry, it is best to combine lentils in equal quantities with rice.

How to cook lentils?

Cooking these legumes does not take as much time as it might seem at first. The most important thing is to pre-soak the grains in warm water for at least 1 hour.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp. lentils;
2 tbsp. water;
2 carrots;
1 onion;
vegetable oil;
salt, pepper

Preparation:

Thanks to the special sauce and seasonings, the grains are soft, aromatic, and the dish as a whole is very rich in taste and extremely satisfying.

Ingredients:

250 g lentils;
4 tbsp. l. olive oil (preferably cold pressed);
2 onions;
3 tomatoes;
50 g fresh parsley;
½ lemon;
salt, pepper

Preparation:

Soak the lentil grains in water - for 4 hours if it is cold. For convenience, you can reduce the time by pouring boiling water over the beans. In this case, keeping them in water for 60 minutes is enough. When the lentils swell, place them in a colander to drain all the water.
Finely chop the onion. Peel the tomatoes and finely chop the pulp.
In a deep frying pan or saucepan, heat half the oil and first fry the onion, then add the tomato pulp and simmer for about 3 minutes.
Add lentil beans to the vegetables, pour in 1 tbsp. warm water, reduce heat to low and simmer, covering all ingredients with a lid, for about half an hour.
Divide the lemon into 2 equal parts. Squeeze the juice from one half, sprinkle it over the prepared lentils and season with the remaining oil and finely chopped parsley.

Green lentils for dinner

A side dish of this variety of lentils can be served as an independent dish or a full vegetarian dinner if you replace the butter with olive or vegetable oil.

Ingredients:

1.5 tbsp. green lentils;
5 tbsp. water;
1 onion;
1 carrot;
2 cloves of garlic;
thyme;
salt, pepper;
butter.

Preparation:

Pour water over the lentils, add a little salt and cook over medium heat until soft.
Fry finely chopped garlic in oil, turn the heat to low, add more butter, melt it and simmer the onions and carrots in it (do not remove the garlic).
Don't overcook the lentils. It should become soft, but not lose its shape. Drain the liquid from the finished product, add it to the vegetables, add thyme.
Increase the heat to medium and fry the vegetables, stirring vigorously.

Delicious red lentil snack

From this culture you can prepare a wonderful sweet and spicy side dish, which can be served at the table or separately as an appetizer.

Ingredients:

250 g red lentils;
2 peppers;
4 small chili peppers;
1 leek (can be replaced with regular green onions);
2 tbsp. l. oils;
2 cloves of garlic;
2 tbsp. l. curry;
salt, pepper

Preparation:

Red lentils can be cooked without pre-soaking. To do this, wash the grains well, add 0.5 liters of water, salt, and bring to a boil over high heat. Then the flame is reduced to a minimum, the dishes are covered and cooked for 15-20 minutes. The beans should become soft.
Cut vegetables (onions, peppers, garlic) as finely as possible. If you decide to replace the leek with regular green onions, there is no need to fry it. Add it to the rest of the vegetables along with the lentils.
In hot oil, fry all the vegetables together, sprinkling them with curry. Fry over low heat for about 5 minutes. Then add the legumes.
Mix all the ingredients well, add the missing salt and pepper and simmer the ingredients on low heat, with the lid closed, for another 10 minutes.

Despite the fact that lentils are a very healthy and nutritious product, today they are not so often found on our lunch menus. However, our ancestors - both the poor and peasants, and the rich and nobles - paid tribute to dishes made from this variety of legumes. By the way, in pre-revolutionary times, Russia ranked first in the world in lentil production. Meanwhile, these legumes are one of the highest quality sources of vegetable protein, which is especially important if you observe church fasts. So, today we decided to offer you several options for how to cook lentils as a side dish. If you want to diversify your menu with a very healthy and tasty product, be sure to use one of the recipes.

Red lentils: recipes

A side dish made from this variety of legumes turns out to be tasty, nutritious, satisfying and will certainly appeal to everyone at home. So, to prepare the second lentil dish we need the following products: half a kilo of red lentils, one and a half liters of water, one carrot and onion, a couple of spoons of tomato sauce or paste, a teaspoon of turmeric, a couple of cloves of garlic, vegetable oil, salt, pepper, dried herbs parsley and cumin.

Cooking process

Boil water, add lentils to it and cook for 15 minutes over low heat. At the same time, fry the pre-grated carrots and garlic, as well as finely chopped onions, in vegetable oil. Then add spices and tomato sauce, stir and remove from heat. Add the sautéed lentils to the boiled lentils, add salt and simmer over low heat for a few more minutes. The delicious side dish is ready! It will go well with both meat dishes and vegetable salad. This option for how to cook lentils as a side dish is very easy and quick and is suitable even for novice housewives. Bon appetit!

Green Lentil Side Dish Recipe

We bring to your attention another recipe from this variety of legumes. This side dish of green lentils combined with pasta is of Egyptian origin and has a magnificent and rich taste. So, in order to pamper ourselves and our loved ones with a similar dish, we first need to prepare the following ingredients: 200 grams of green lentils, 200 grams of pasta, 700 grams of tomatoes (you can take both fresh and canned), three onions, a clove of garlic, vegetable oil, salt, pepper, cumin, turmeric and coriander to taste. From this quantity of products you can prepare four servings of the dish.

Fill the beans with water at the rate of two glasses of water per one glass of lentils and boil for 40 minutes over low heat. Heat one tablespoon of oil in a small saucepan or saucepan and add crushed coriander and cumin seeds, fry them for a few seconds. Then add boiled lentils and mix. Cut the onion into half rings and fry in a frying pan with four tablespoons of vegetable oil until golden brown. Add a teaspoon of sugar to the onion, increase the heat and continue to fry, stirring constantly, until crispy and brown. Then transfer it to a paper napkin or towel to absorb excess fat. Heat two tablespoons of oil in a frying pan and add finely chopped garlic, turmeric, tomatoes, add a little salt and cook for about 10 minutes over low heat. We should have a slightly thickened sauce. Place lentils on top of pre-boiled pasta, then tomato sauce and crispy onions. You can also sprinkle the dish with parsley or cilantro. This was another option for how to cook lentils as a side dish. Be sure to try this delicious and healthy dish!

How to cook lentil porridge

This dish can be very useful to you if you are fasting, as this porridge is very filling and contains the required amount of vegetable proteins. So, to prepare this dish we will need the following ingredients: a glass of red lentils, a bunch of cilantro, dill and parsley, one and a half glasses of water, an onion, two cloves of garlic, salt and vegetable oil.

Cooking process

Pour the lentils with water and after boiling, cook over low heat until tender. At this time, finely chop the greens. Fry finely chopped onion in vegetable oil until it turns golden and add garlic. Add the prepared lentils to the onion and garlic and fry for a minute. Then pour the chopped herbs into the porridge, add salt, mix and let it brew under the lid for a quarter of an hour. The most delicious Lenten dish is ready!

Lentils in a slow cooker: recipe

If you are the happy owner of such a kitchen appliance, then you probably know that you can cook a whole lot of different dishes in it. These include soups, cereals, and baked goods. Next, we suggest learning how to cook lentils in a slow cooker. If you decide to treat yourself to a delicious side dish of this variety of legumes, then you will need the following ingredients: a multi-cup of red lentils, a medium-sized onion, 2.5 multi-cups of plain water, carrots, salt, ground black pepper, and vegetable oil.

Cooking process

Peel and finely chop the onion. Turn on the “Baking” mode and fry the onion for about five minutes in vegetable oil, stirring constantly. Peel the carrots, grate them, add to the frying onions and cook for another 10 minutes. Rinse the lentils in cold water and add to the fried vegetables. Fill with water, salt and pepper. Stir, close the lid of the multicooker and set the “Buckwheat” mode. Very soon a delicious and nutritious side dish will be ready.

Today we have given several recipes for how to cook lentils as a side dish. However, this variety of legumes can also be an independent dish. For example, many people love lentil soups. As a rule, they are prepared in the form of a puree, adding tomatoes, peppers and various seasonings. Such dishes contain few calories, but at the same time they are very filling and tasty. Therefore, people who watch their figure will certainly like them.

Despite the fact that lentils are a very healthy and nutritious product, today they are not so often found on our lunch menus. However, our ancestors - both the poor and peasants, and the rich and nobles - paid tribute to dishes made from this variety of legumes. By the way, in pre-revolutionary times, Russia ranked first in the world in lentil production. Meanwhile, these legumes are one of the highest quality sources of vegetable protein, which is especially important if you observe church fasts. So, today we decided to offer you several options for a side dish. If you want to diversify your menu with a very healthy and tasty product, be sure to use one of the recipes.

Red lentils: recipes

A side dish made from this variety of legumes turns out to be tasty, nutritious, satisfying and will certainly appeal to everyone at home. So, to prepare the second we need the following products: half a kilo of red lentils, one and a half liters of water, one carrot and onion, a couple of spoons of tomato sauce or paste, a teaspoon of turmeric, a couple of cloves of garlic, vegetable oil, salt, pepper, dried parsley and cumin .

Cooking process

Boil water, add lentils to it and cook for 15 minutes over low heat. At the same time, fry pre-grated carrots and garlic, as well as finely chopped onion. Then add spices and tomato sauce, stir and remove from heat. Add the sautéed lentils to the boiled lentils, add salt and simmer over low heat for a few more minutes. The delicious side dish is ready! It will go well with both meat dishes and vegetable salad. This option for how to cook lentils as a side dish is very easy and quick and is suitable even for novice housewives. Bon appetit!

from green lentils

How to cook lentil porridge

Cooking process

Lentils in a slow cooker: recipe

Cooking process

Irina Kamshilina

Cooking for someone is much more pleasant than cooking for yourself))

Content

Lentils are soft beans that are sold dried. It can be consumed in the form of porridges, soups, side dishes, stews, and cutlets. But to achieve an unforgettable taste of a dish made from these beans, you need to know how to cook lentils. Modern recipes will allow you to achieve a delicious culinary masterpiece using a slow cooker or the traditional method on the stove.

How long to cook lentils until tender?

Before cooking lentils, you need to sort them, separating debris, pieces of earth, and husks. For convenience, place the beans on a white paper towel or plate. Place the prepared lentils in a sieve and rinse under cold running water for a minute. Having decided to cook porridge from these beans for the first time, many housewives have a question: do they need to soak the lentils before cooking? In order for the grains to retain their shape and not become too soft during cooking, they do not need to be soaked first.

Depending on the dish you are going to cook, the cooking time for lentils can range from 10 to 45 minutes. If you purchased chopped beans, then after 10-20 minutes you will get a porridge-like mass. These lentils cook quickly, so they are ideal for pureed soups. You can increase the cooking of whole beans to 45 minutes, leaving the lentils to simmer under the lid until completely softened.

Features of cooking red, black, green and yellow lentils

There are about 11 varieties of lentils, which differ in their color, grain shape, taste, and even cooking method. The popularity of this product is growing every year, so it is important to know the benefits of lentils and how to cook them. The benefits include iron, B vitamins, folic acid, potassium, carbohydrates, as a result of which lentils have become an integral part of the diet of all people. Regular consumption of dishes made from these beans is beneficial for:

diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
normalization of the urinary system.

First you need to decide what dish you are buying these beans for and what you are going to cook. If you plan to cook porridge, then you need to purchase French green or brown or black lentils. Beans of this color tend to retain the shape of the grains without turning into a puree-like mass. For soups and stews, you should use red, yellow, or orange lentils, since during the cooking process they quickly and strongly soften, turning into porridge.

How to cook lentils in a slow cooker

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How to cook lentils? This question often arises among novice housewives. If such beans are cooked correctly, lentils will retain all the beneficial substances, vitamins and microelements.

Read the article on how to prepare the product and how long it will take to cook.

How to cook green and red lentils

The process of preparing red and green lentils is not much different. The only thing to pay attention to is the cooking time. Green varieties take longer to cook. This is because green lentils contain more protein, fiber and iron than red lentils. That's why it doesn't boil over.

How to cook lentils correctly? Follow these steps and you will undoubtedly end up with a delicious side dish:

Preparing the beans.

Lentils often contain debris and small solids. Place the cereal in a colander and rinse thoroughly under running water. Then pour the cereal into a saucepan and fill it with water. Large debris will float to the surface, but clean lentils will remain at the bottom.

Preparation.

Take 250 g of clean lentil beans, place in a saucepan and add 600 ml of water. Place on the stove. When the water boils, cook over low heat. Don't forget to stir. 5 minutes before the end of cooking, salt and pepper the dish to taste.

How long does it take to cook lentils? It depends on the variety. Green and brown varieties are boiled for at least 40 minutes, but krasnoe is enough for 20 minutes, otherwise it will turn into puree.

Now you know how to cook red lentils. It is recommended to combine the dish with carrots, sweet peppers and coriander, add to casseroles or serve as a side dish for meat.

How to cook lentils in a slow cooker

A multicooker is an indispensable assistant that allows you to quickly and deliciously prepare lentil dishes. To make an appetizing side dish, you need to know how to properly prepare and how long to cook lentils in a slow cooker.

To get a truly healthy dish, cook beans using this technology:

rinse the lentils thoroughly and dry;
pour a glass of cereal into the multicooker bowl and pour in 0.5 liters of water;
set the “Porridge” mode or program the multicooker manually in the “Multishef” program;
Boil yellow lentils for about 15 minutes, red lentils for 20 minutes, and green lentils for 30 minutes.

Serve the finished lentils as a separate dish or as a side dish for cutlets and fish. The dish goes well with tomato juice or sauce.

Don't be afraid to cook the product incorrectly. The dish will be satisfying, quickly release nutrients into the body and add energy.