How to Cook Green or Brown Lentils

Green or brown lentils, sometimes known as continental lentils, are high in protein, iron and fiber, making them a healthy staple for vegetarian diets. Unlike red split lentils or yellow lentils, they don't fall apart when they're cooked. This article discusses three ways to enjoy cooked lentils: in Vegetable Lentil Soup, Fresh Lentil Salad and Megadarra, a dish popular in Egypt.

Ingredients

Basic Cooked Lentils

  • 1 cup dried green or brown lentils, picked and rinsed
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • salt and pepper

Vegetable Lentil Soup

  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 cup chopped white onion
  • 1 large carrot, chopped and peeled
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 pound dried green or brown lentils, picked and rinsed
  • 1 cup stewed, chopped tomatoes
  • 1 1/2 quarts vegetable broth
  • 1/2 teaspoon coriander
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin

Fresh Lentil Salad

  • 1 cup chopped red onion
  • 1 cup chopped tomato
  • 1/2 cup chopped parsley
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 cups dried green or brown lentils, picked and rinsed
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 3 teaspoons Dijon mustard

Megadarra

  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 2 Spanish onions, thinly sliced
  • 1 1/2 cups dried green or brown lentils, picked and rinsed
  • 5 cups water
  • 1 1/2 cups long grain rice
  • 1 1/4 cup plain yogurt
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon cumin
  • salt and pepper
Method 1
Method 1 of 4:

Basic Cooked Lentils

  1. Image titled Cook Green or Brown Lentils Step 1
    1
    Pick over and rinse dried lentils. Dried lentils, especially when bought from a bulk food bin, often have tiny stones mixed in. Sift through the lentils and pick out any materials that don't belong. Rinse the lentils in a colander with tight holes.
  2. Image titled Cook Green or Brown Lentils Step 2
    2
    Pour the washed lentils into the cooking saucepan.
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  3. Image titled Cook Green or Brown Lentils Step 3
    3
    Pour the water over the lentils. Bring to the boil.
  4. Image titled Cook Green or Brown Lentils Step 4
    4
    Lower the heat once boiling. Simmer for about 40-45 minutes. Stir the lentils occasionally. The lentils are cooked when the water has been absorbed and they taste tender.
  5. Image titled Cook Green or Brown Lentils Step 5
    5
    Remove from the heat and drain well. They lentils can be simply seasoned to taste with salt and pepper, or use them in a recipe requiring brown or green lentils.
    • Add to warm salads, casseroles, and stuffing.
    • Add pureed to soups.
    • Combine with white rice or bulgur wheat for a side dish.
    • Mash to form a vegetarian pâté.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 4:

Vegetable Lentil Soup

  1. Image titled Cook Green or Brown Lentils Step 6
    1
    Pick over and rinse the lentils.
  2. Image titled Cook Green or Brown Lentils Step 7
    2
    Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
  3. Image titled Cook Green or Brown Lentils Step 8
    3
    Sauté the onion and carrot. Stir the vegetables occasionally and allow to Sauté until the onion becomes translucent.
  4. Image titled Cook Green or Brown Lentils Step 9
    4
    Stir in the salt, lentils, vegetable broth, tomatoes and spices. Bring the soup to a boil, then cover the pot and reduce the heat to low.
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    5
    Cook the soup for 40 minutes. Taste the soup and add more salt and other seasonings if needed. Serve with bread or crackers.
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Method 3
Method 3 of 4:

Fresh Lentil Salad

  1. Image titled Cook Green or Brown Lentils Step 11
    1
    Pick over and rinse the lentils.
  2. Image titled Cook Green or Brown Lentils Step 12
    2
    Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Add the lentils. Put a lid on the saucepan and reduce the heat to low. Cook until the lentils are tender, about 20 minutes. Drain when finished.
  3. Image titled Cook Green or Brown Lentils Step 13
    3
    Make the dressing. Stir the oil, vinegar, mustard, and garlic together in a small bowl.
  4. Image titled Cook Green or Brown Lentils Step 14
    4
    Compose the salad. Combine the lentils, tomato, and onion in a bowl. Pour the dressing over the mixture and toss. Serve as a side dish or main course for lunch.
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Method 4
Method 4 of 4:

Megadarra

  1. Image titled Cook Green or Brown Lentils Step 15
    1
    Pick over and rinse the lentils.
  2. Image titled Cook Green or Brown Lentils Step 16
    2
    Heat half the olive oil in a skill. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until they are dark brown and carmelized. Remove them from heat.
  3. Image titled Cook Green or Brown Lentils Step 17
    3
    Combine the lentils and water in a saucepan. Bring it to a boil, then cover the saucepan and reduce the heat to medium low. Cook for fifteen minutes.
  4. 4
    Add the onions, rice, 1 Tablespoon olive oil, and salt and pepper. Cover the saucepan again and continue cooking for 20 minutes.
  5. Image titled Cook Green or Brown Lentils Step 19
    5
    Make the dressing. Combine the remaining olive oil, the yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, and spices in a bowl.
  6. Image titled Cook Green or Brown Lentils Step 20
    6
    Place the lentils in a serving bowl. Spread the caramelized onions on top. Serve with the yogurt dressing.
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Community Q&A

  • Question
    Do they need to soak overnight?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Nope. Unlike dry beans, you can just pour them right out of the bag into the saucepan, though you'll want to pick through and make sure there are no rocks.
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Things You'll Need

  • Sieve or colander with fine holes
  • Saucepan
  • Stirring implement
  • Serving bowl
  • Ingredients listed above

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About This Article

wikiHow Staff
Co-authored by:
wikiHow Staff
wikiHow Staff Writer
This article was co-authored by wikiHow Staff. Our trained team of editors and researchers validate articles for accuracy and comprehensiveness. wikiHow's Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards. This article has been viewed 354,616 times.
31 votes - 87%
Co-authors: 4
Updated: May 6, 2021
Views: 354,616
Categories: Rice and Beans
Article SummaryX

To cook green or brown lentils, start by rinsing the lentils in a colander and picking out any tiny stones that are mixed in with them. Then, transfer the rinsed lentils to a saucepan and fill the saucepan with water so the lentils are completely covered. Next, bring the water to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer for 40-45 minutes, stirring the lentils occasionally. Finally, when the lentils are done simmering, drain them and serve. To learn how to make vegetable lentil soup or fresh lentil salad, scroll down!

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