Do you need to soak lentils before cooking, and how to do it correctly?

Lentils are the oldest legume plant; they began to be grown in Ancient Egypt, and even the Bible mentions lentil stew. In the good old days, nourishing and tasty lentils replaced both meat and bread for the poor, and there were legends about its beneficial properties. Doctors today recommend lentil dishes for patients with diabetes, as well as for overweight people, since this legume not only lowers blood sugar levels, but also promotes weight loss. Chef of Yulia Vysotskaya's Culinary Studio Oleg Tomilin talks about the varieties of lentils and shares the secrets of their preparation.

What are lentils?

Common lentils are the oldest legume crop. Its grains are small and flat and come in a variety of colors. It is very healthy and especially rich in proteins. It is used in all kinds of dishes - salads, soups, casseroles, stews. Similar to beans and peas, lentils can be canned.

Where do lentils grow? In the wild, it is found mainly in Asia, but it is cultivated in wider areas. Particularly large lentil plantations can be seen in India, Nepal, Turkey, and Canada. If desired, you can grow it on your own plot. She is also unpretentious, like beans. This is an annual herbaceous plant up to half a meter high on average with thin stems. After flowering, pods with a small number of seeds are formed. You can see what lentils look like in the photo.

And also lentils, photo of a plant with fruit:

Lentil varieties

There are many varieties of lentils. It differs in color, as well as taste and composition. But in any case, the benefits of lentils for the body are simply enormous.

1. Green is not a variety, but simply unripe fruits. During cooking, they do not turn into puree, but retain their original shape. This is a universal variety that is suitable for preparing almost any dish.
2. Red - boils more strongly and at the same time has a more pronounced, piquant taste.
3. The brown one has a pleasant nutty flavor. This is an ideal variety for making soups, salads and casseroles.
4. An interesting variety is black lentils. Due to the tiny size of the seeds, it is often called “beluga”, by analogy with beluga caviar.
5. Puy lentils come from small-town France. It is interesting because it does not change color during cooking, retains its shape and has a spicy, refined taste.

In any case, it makes sense to try each lentil variety to choose the one you like best. And, of course, you need to focus on cooking for the benefit of each individual variety.

Which lentils are healthier?

All types are valuable without exception. But each variety has its own special properties.

• For anemia and problems with hematopoiesis, red lentils are useful due to their high content of potassium, iron and protein.
• Green is useful for ulcers and other gastrointestinal diseases due to the increased amount of fiber. It is also recommended for hypertension, hepatitis, and rheumatism.
• For lung diseases, tuberculosis, lesions and injuries of the muscular and skeletal system, brown lentils are indispensable.
• Sprouted lentils deserve special attention, the benefits and harms of which are actively discussed on forums. It is an indispensable product for vitamin deficiency and low immunity. It is very useful to give it to children in early spring. It is sprouted and used in the same way as wheat.

Choose the optimal type of lentil, focusing on your taste preferences and health status.

What are the benefits of lentils?

Lentils, whose calorie content is only 110 kcal, are a product with a unique and balanced composition. 100 grams of grains contain 25g of vegetable protein, which makes it indispensable in the diet of vegetarians. Before talking about the benefits of lentils for the body, let's analyze its composition. It includes:

• Omega 3 and 6 acids.
• Amino acid tryptophan.
• Isoflavones.
• Natural sugars.
• Easily soluble fiber.
• Folic acid.
• Vitamins PP, A, E, B.
• Complex of microelements: zinc, iodine, manganese, selenium, phosphorus, copper, boron, chromium, iron, potassium and magnesium.

Lentils have such a rich composition. Its nutritional value is incomparable to any other plant product. It is worth adding that the calorie content of lentils boiled in water was indicated above. After analyzing the composition, we can draw conclusions about its beneficial properties:

• Tryptophan is a very interesting amino acid that affects our entire body. It is found in the same quantities only in turkey meat. This amino acid causes increased production of serotonin, which is very beneficial for the nervous system; it is not for nothing that it is called the hormone of joy. Serotonin, in turn, is converted into melatonin, a hormone responsible for sound and healthy sleep.
• The list of substances includes microelements that improve the functioning of the circulatory and cardiovascular systems. The heart muscle is strengthened, hemoglobin levels increase, and bad cholesterol levels decrease.
• It is a powerful natural anticarcinogen. The content of isoflavones gives lentils properties to suppress the growth of cancer cells.
• In folk medicine, it is used in the form of flour as an external and internal remedy. By mixing flour with yolk or butter, you can treat burns and non-healing wounds.
• Sprouted lentils compensate for the lack of most vitamins and microelements, so they can be used instead of expensive vitamin complexes.

Lentils have beneficial properties and also have contraindications, but we will talk about them a little later.

Lentils for weight loss

Due to its low calorie content, abundance of fiber, satiety and balanced composition, lentils are a wonderful dietary product. If you read the forums, you will notice that lentils for weight loss receive mostly positive reviews. There is even a separate diet based on it. It is designed for a week. The menu is approximately as follows:

1. Have breakfast with yogurt and any fruit.
2. During the afternoon snack, a small snack consisting of fruit and a glass of juice is allowed.
3. For lunch, take three tablespoons of boiled lentils and boiled brown rice. The porridge is seasoned with herbs, olive oil and soy sauce.
4. After a couple of hours, you can have a snack again by preparing lentil puree soup.
5. For dinner, you are allowed to eat 200 grams of lentils boiled in water, seasoned with oil and herbs.
6. If you feel hungry before going to bed, you are only allowed to drink a glass of kefir.

This diet can be repeated once a month. Its advantage is that, thanks to lentils, the body receives all the substances it needs.

Lentils - benefits for women

As for women, lentils should always be present in their diet. The benefits and harms of this product for women were studied by nutritionists and it was concluded that it contains all the valuable substances that women need at different periods of their lives.

• The abundance of folic acid makes it a must-have product on the menu of expectant mothers. A serving of boiled grains contains 90% of the daily requirement of the substance.
• It is used as a cancer prevention.
• Helps you cope with stressful situations with dignity.
• Softens menopausal symptoms.
• Normalizes sugar and prevents cardiovascular diseases.
• Helps lose weight for those who want to maintain a good figure.

Benefits for the body and composition

Lentils contain large quantities of proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins (B and E) and minerals (boron, iron, chlorine, potassium, magnesium, calcium, zinc, copper, nickel, chromium, cobalt, iodine and phosphorus).

The high nutritional value of grains allows them to replace meat. They reduce blood sugar. Used to strengthen blood vessels and lower blood pressure.

The product helps with diabetes, pulmonary diseases and disorders of the gastrointestinal tract. It is used for menopause in women, for the prevention of cancer and osteochondrosis.

The red variety is the leader in the amount of iron. It is indicated for use in cases of anemia. Green helps relieve constipation. Yellow contains a large amount of folic acid. It should be included in the diet of pregnant women.

How to cook lentils deliciously

There is nothing complicated in cooking lentils, you just need to know the small subtleties of the recipes. However, as in preparing any other dish. Let's figure out how to cook lentils correctly and what can be prepared from them.

Do I need to soak lentils before cooking?

We are used to the fact that peas, beans and other legumes must be soaked before cooking. Lentils cook quickly and you can do without it - they will be completely cooked and will turn out tasty and nutritious. But dry peas, lentils, and beans contain inhibitors that block enzymes in our body and slow down digestion. This is what explains the bloating.

Pre-soaking neutralizes these inhibitors and nothing like that happens. And nutrients will be better absorbed. Therefore, it is still worth rinsing it before cooking and soaking it for several hours. According to various sources, soaking time can range from 3 to 7 hours. Many people leave it overnight. Then the grains can be washed and cooked using the chosen method. Don't know what you can cook with lentils? To get started, try simple and delicious recipes.

Lentil salad - recipes

Lentils go well with herbs, vegetables, meat and chicken, so there are many salad recipe combinations.

1. The simplest option includes a modest set of products - 200 grams of boiled lentils, 2 small onions, parsley and sunflower oil. The preparation is very simple - boil the lentils, fry the onions, finely chop the greens and mix it all together. If desired, you can add another clove of garlic for some extra flavor.
2. Now the preparation is more complicated. It consists of one chicken breast, 50 grams of boiled lentils, 150 grams of small tomatoes (it is better to take cherry tomatoes), a large bunch of green salad, olive oil and soy sauce.

• Boil the lentils in salted water.
• Marinate the breast in soy sauce for an hour, then cut into small cubes and fry in sunflower oil.
• Tear the lettuce leaves into pieces using your hands.
• Cut the tomatoes into halves.
• Mix everything, salt, pepper, season with vegetable oil. You can add a little lemon juice.

Ask the chef! Didn't manage to cook the dish? Don't be shy, ask me personally.Go

How to cook lentils in a slow cooker?

Lentils in a slow cooker turn out very tasty - we will now look at recipes with photos. More precisely, one basic recipe, and then you can get creative and add ingredients at your discretion.

1. Pre-soak and rinse the lentils.
2. Make a fry - pour vegetable oil into a bowl, throw in a whole clove of garlic, onion cut into half rings, carrots and pepper strips. Turn on the “Frying” mode for 15 minutes.
3. Place two glasses of lentils in a bowl and fill everything with four glasses of water, that is, maintain a 1:2 ratio.
4. Mix everything well and turn on the “Buckwheat” mode. Now we just have to wait until the multicooker finishes working. Ready lentils can be used as a side dish or an independent dish.

Subtleties of cooking

So, fill the lentils with cold water in a ratio of 1:2. Green lentils are cooked for 40 minutes, red lentils for 15–20 minutes, and orange lentils for 10–15 minutes. I do not recommend adding salt to the water, otherwise it will take longer to cook. It is best to add salt at the very end, but you can add a tablespoon of aromatic olive oil at the very beginning. The taste of lentils will then become softer and more delicate. For piquancy, I often add spices at the beginning of cooking - rosemary, sage, bay leaf and always pepper. Arabic lentils can also be cooked in the microwave - to do this, fill it with water so that it is 1-2 cm above the level of the grain, and place it in the microwave oven at the highest power for 10 minutes.

How to cook lentils for a side dish?

If you want to make a side dish of lentils, you can use the slow cooker recipe or prepare a similar dish in a skillet and saucepan. It will be even tastier if you add a bunch of dill, spices and a couple of large tomatoes.

1. Soak the lentils, rinse and boil until tender.
2. Fry the onions, carrots and sweet peppers, add the diced tomatoes and simmer a little more.
3. Remove the pan with vegetables from the heat, add finely chopped dill, a little coriander, black pepper, and salt.
4. Mix lentils with vegetables.

This side dish goes great with baked fish, chicken or turkey.

Lentil soup

It will require:

• lentils (green);
• potato;
• chicken or beef;
• carrot;
• onion;
• tomatoes;
• salt, spices, vegetable oil.

Put the meat to cook. Chop the vegetables. Sauté carrots and onions in oil. Soak the lentils for 0.5-1 hour in advance. When the broth is ready, start cooking the potatoes and beans. Boil them until half cooked and combine with fried vegetables. Before the end of cooking, add tomatoes, salt, spices and bay leaf. Leave to simmer for 5-10 minutes over low heat. Serve with chopped herbs.

Lentil porridge - recipes

To prepare porridge, you can use any variety of lentils and the taste will be different each time. Porridge can be used as a side dish for lentils; we will go through the recipes with photos step by step to make it easier for you to master new dishes. You can also use porridge as an independent dish.

1. Peel two large onions and a couple of cloves of garlic. Pass the garlic through a press or grate it on the finest grater. Heat a frying pan with oil and put garlic in it. Fry it until it becomes transparent. Now add finely chopped onion and continue frying.
2. Pour the pre-soaked and washed lentils into the frying pan. You need to fry it for a couple of minutes along with onions and garlic.
3. Pour half a liter of water over the lentils, add salt and pepper, and add a bunch of chopped cilantro. If you don’t like cilantro, you can use other greens.
4. Simmer the porridge under the lid for 20-30 minutes, depending on the type of lentil.

Garnish the finished dish with herbs and serve.

Tips from the chef

1. Lentil grains should be uniform in shape and color. If there are small holes on its surface, it means that insects like it and are no longer suitable for food.
2. Do not mix beans purchased at different times, even if they are the same variety. Older lentils will take longer to cook.
3. For vegetable soup, add the lentils first and cook until half cooked, then add the rest of the ingredients.
4. If you are preparing lentil soup based on meat broth, cook the meat first and then add the beans.
5. To make the porridge crumbly, cook it, drain off excess water and leave to swell under the lid.
6. Bay leaves, sage, rosemary, and cloves go well with lentils, and onions, carrots, tomatoes, and garlic go well with vegetables.
7. It is better to add spices earlier, the taste will be more pronounced.
8. Cooked lentils can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
9. To avoid flatulence, add cloves.

Damage to lentils

Lentils are not harmful, on the contrary, they are very healthy, but it is still not recommended to cook them every day, since in large quantities they can interfere with the absorption of certain nutrients. In addition, there are several contraindications:

• Due to its high protein content, it is not recommended for people with gout, joint diseases, uric acid diathesis and diseases of the genitourinary system.
• Do not overuse if you have kidney stones or gallstones.
• If you have digestive problems, then limit the amount or soak it well beforehand to minimize fermentation processes.

This is such an amazing and healthy product - lentils. Benefits and harms, recipes - we talked about all this in detail. Now you know how valuable this product is, and you will probably cook delicious dishes from it from time to time.