Hundreds of years ago, the inhabitants of Ancient Rome, Egypt and Greece used lentils in cooking, in Russia even bread was baked from it. Today, such a culture is not shown due interest and in vain, because lentils have unique healing properties and amazing taste. You can cook many dishes from it: soups, cereals, side dishes, casseroles and much more. Introducing delicious and easy lentil recipes.

Lentils for garnish - a simple and tasty recipe

Lentils are a unique product that eliminates the feeling of hunger for a long time, saturates the body with vitamins and nutrients. For the preparation of side dishes, brown, red and green varieties are mainly used. They go well with meat and fish dishes, as well as with vegetables - with pumpkin, potatoes and cabbage.

Brown lentil garnish

Brown lentils are distinguished by their delicate nutty flavor, they are not capricious in terms of processing.

Ingredients:

220 g brown lentils;
2 tomatoes;
2 onions;
4 tbsp. spoons of olive oil;
lemon wedge, salt, pepper.

Cooking method:

1. Fill the beans with boiling water and leave for an hour. As soon as they swell, throw the lentils into a colander.
2. Peel the tomatoes, chop the pulp, finely chop the onion.
3. We heat the pan with olive oil, first fry the onion, then add the tomatoes, simmer the vegetables for about 3 minutes.
4. After a few minutes, add the beans to the vegetables, pour in a glass of warm water, season with spices, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
5. Season the finished lentils with a sauce of olive oil and lemon juice, sprinkle with finely chopped herbs.

Red lentils for garnish

Red lentils are pretty hard to mess up. From it you can cook an original side dish with a spicy-sweet aftertaste.

Ingredients:

220 g lentils (red);
3 chili peppers;
leek;
3-4 cloves of garlic;
curry, salt, pepper.

Cooking method:

1. Thoroughly wash the bean grains, fill with water (0.5 l), put on fire and bring to a boil. Cook the lentils on low heat for 20 minutes, the grains should become soft.
2. Grind the onion, garlic and pepper, fry for several minutes in vegetable oil, adding a little curry.
3. Add boiled beans, salt, pepper to vegetables and simmer under a closed lid for 10 minutes.

Green lentil garnish

Green bean garnish can be served as an independent diet dish if olive or vegetable oil is used instead of butter in its preparation.

Ingredients:

220 g lentils (green);
onion;
carrot;
clove of garlic;
butter;
thyme, salt, pepper.

Cooking method:

1. Fill the lentils with water, cook over low heat until soft.
2. Fry chopped onions, garlic, carrots in oil.
3. We combine the finished lentils with vegetables, season with salt, pepper and thyme. Simmer for a few minutes, serve.

Hearty porridge with vegetables

For cooking, it is better to use red lentils. It cooks quickly and looks great when finished. You can add different products to porridge, but do not get carried away, because lentils have a pleasant taste.

Ingredients:

200 g lentils;
carrot;
celery root;
bulb;
2-3 cloves of garlic;
2-3 tomatoes;
medium sized turnip (optional)
vegetable (corn) oil.

Cooking method:

1. We wash the lentil grains and boil until tender.
2. Remove the peel from the tomatoes, finely chop the flesh. Chop onion, garlic and carrots. Turnip cut into cubes or three on a large grater.
3. Stew all vegetables with a little water in a saucepan, adding vegetable oil.
4. As soon as the vegetables are ready, add the lentils and simmer for another 10 minutes. Lentil porridge is ready, sprinkle with chopped herbs and serve.

Cream soup with croutons

Lentil soup puree is a hearty, tasty, healthy dish. For its preparation, culinary specialists use red culture, which is well boiled and gives the desired texture.

Ingredients:

200 g lentils;
400 ml chicken broth;
red onion;
carrot;
Art. a spoonful of tomato paste;
clove of garlic;
toast;
slice of lemon;
pepper, salt, cumin.

Cooking method:

1. Put the lentil grains, chopped onion, garlic, tomato paste, pepper, a pinch of cumin into the pan, pour everything with chicken broth. We put on fire and cook until the beans and vegetables are completely boiled.
2. As soon as the ingredients become soft, remove the pan from the heat, add salt, lemon juice and beat with a blender to a puree consistency.
3. Serve lentil soup with croutons and mint leaves.

Lentil cutlets

The best alternative to meat dishes can be lentil cutlets. Due to their unique properties, they are satisfying and nutritious. Since lentils are quite soft in structure, it is not necessary to add eggs to products. It is better to use vegetables, such as zucchini, carrots, pumpkins or potatoes.

Ingredients:

200 g lentils;
onion;
carrot;
3 cloves of garlic;
teaspoons of cumin and coriander;
salt, parsley, olive oil.

Cooking method:

1. Boil the lentils for 20 minutes, drain the water, cool completely.
2. Put the boiled beans, chopped onions, garlic, parsley, grated carrots and spices into the blender bowl. You can add some breadcrumbs. We mix everything.
3. We form cutlets from minced meat, lightly roll them in breadcrumbs and fry in olive oil until crispy.
4. Ready cutlets can be garnished with lettuce, red onion rings, pour over sour cream.

Diet salad with lentils

The peculiarity of lentils is that it contains a lot of nutrients and trace elements, and the fat content is reduced to zero. Therefore, with the help of a light salad with lentils, you can quickly lose weight.

Ingredients:

220 g lentils;
Red onion:
green onions;
carrot;
clove of garlic;
2 tbsp. spoons of wine bite and the same amount of lemon juice;
bunch of parsley;
olive oil, salt.

Cooking method:

1. Fill the beans with water, cook for 40 minutes. Pour the finished beans into a colander, rinse under running water.
2. Prepare the sauce. Take a spoonful of olive oil, mix with chopped garlic, wine vinegar and lemon juice.
3. Chop red, green onions and parsley. Carrot cut into small cubes.
4. Put lentils in a salad bowl, add prepared vegetables, pour sauce, mix and put the salad in the refrigerator for 45 minutes.

Tomato soup with beans

Lentil tomato soup will take its rightful place on the menu. A bright, mouth-watering, truly spring dish that harmoniously combines the nutty taste of beans, the slight sourness of tomatoes and the pleasant sweetness of bell peppers.

Ingredients:

220 g lentils;
500 ml of tomato juice;
carrot;
bulb;
2 cloves of garlic;
Bell pepper;
200 ml of meat broth;
2-3 tbsp. spoons of olive oil;
salt.

Cooking method:

1. Pre-soak bean grains in cold water, boil until half cooked.
2. Fry chopped onions and carrots in olive oil.
3. Add small cubes of bell pepper to the vegetables, and simmer them for several minutes.
4. Pour the broth into the vegetables, simmer until cooked.
5. Put the prepared vegetables, lentils into the pan, add spices, chopped garlic. Pour tomato juice, mix and put on the stove. As soon as the soup boils, remove from heat, cover with a lid and let it brew for 20 minutes.
6. Serve tomato cream soup with sour cream and parsley.

Cooking option with mushrooms

Lentils with mushrooms is a tasty and not difficult dish to prepare. Thanks to its velvety and mild taste, even those who do not like bean dishes will definitely appreciate the recipe.

Ingredients:

200 g of beans;
150 g dried mushrooms;
onion;
carrot;
sunflower oil.

Cooking method:

1. Rinse the grains, boil for 30 minutes.
2. Pre-soak dried mushrooms to remove bitterness from them.
3. Chop carrots and onions.
4. In a pan with sunflower oil, first fry the mushrooms. Then add the onions, carrots, spices and simmer until the vegetables are soft.
5. As soon as the vegetables with mushrooms are ready, pour in boiling water (half a glass) and simmer for a few more minutes.
6. Add the finished lentils to vegetables with mushrooms, cover with a lid, simmer for 5-7 minutes.

Lentils with chicken and bell pepper

For those who are looking for a recipe for an original and tasty dish for the festive table, then cooked lentils with vegetables and chicken will definitely decorate the table.

Ingredients:

200 g lentils;
2 chicken breasts (fillet);
3 cloves of garlic;
2 heads of onions;
2 sweet peppers;
2 small apples (Antonovka, Granny);
tsp chili pepper;
olive oil.

Cooking method:

1. In order to not take so much time to cook, it is better to pre-soak the lentils, you can leave them overnight. Then rinse with water and cook over low heat for half an hour.
2. While the beans are cooking, you can prepare the rest of the ingredients. Take a bell pepper, cut it into cubes. Peel the apples and cut into slices. Sprinkle peppers and apples with oil and bake in the oven for 15 minutes at a temperature of 200 degrees.
3. We take a frying pan and fry the chopped onion in vegetable oil. As soon as the onion becomes transparent, add the chicken fillet pieces and fry.
4. Add roasted peppers and apples to the fried chicken with onions, as well as chopped garlic and chili peppers for piquancy.
5. It remains to add the lentils, mix everything and stew a little so that all the ingredients can absorb each other's juices.

Indian dal - step by step recipe

Dal is a traditional Indian dish. Even in the poorest families in India, this soup is a must on the table. For its preparation, different types of legumes are used, as well as spices and spices, which give the dish a unique taste and aroma.

Ingredients:

220 g lentils;
3 tomatoes;
white onion;
3 cloves of garlic;
tsp sesame;
teaspoon of mustard seeds;
teaspoon of cumin;
teaspoon of turmeric;
bay leaf;
2 tbsp. spoons of lemon juice;
sunflower oil, salt, parsley.

Cooking method:

1. Pour lentils with 3 glasses of cold water and cook for 20 minutes.
2. Peel the tomatoes and cut the pulp into small cubes.
3. In a frying pan with heated oil, pass the chopped onion and garlic.
4. As soon as the vegetables are slightly fried, add mustard seeds, turmeric, caraway seeds to them, mix and continue to cook the frying for a few more minutes. At the end, add sesame seeds. We spread vegetables, tomatoes in almost ready lentils. Add bay leaf, lemon juice and salt to taste. Cook soup for 10 minutes.
5. Decorate Indian lentil dal with parsley leaves and serve with tortillas.

Appetizer with chicken liver

Lentils have a peculiarity, they do not absorb harmful substances and toxins, so the dishes are not only tasty, but also healthy.

Ingredients:

250 g lentils;
bulb;
400 g chicken liver;
teaspoons of coriander and black pepper;
salt, vegetable oil, dill.

Cooking method:

1. Boil the lentils until tender.
2. Heat the vegetable oil in a saucepan, fry the chopped onion until golden brown.
3. Then add chicken liver to it and fry until tender.
4. Add lentils, spices to the chicken liver with onions, mix and simmer for a few more minutes. We decorate the finished dish with chopped herbs.

Lentil pate with nuts

Lentils can be used to prepare a variety of dishes. For example, bean pate with walnuts. This is a great option as a sandwich with black bread. Despite the fact that the pate is not the most appetizing dish in appearance, but its taste and aroma compensate for this lack.

Ingredients:

250 g lentils;
bulb;
carrot;
80 g walnuts;
salt, pepper, sunflower oil.

Cooking method:

1. Boil lentils for 20 minutes.
2. Grind onions and carrots, fry in vegetable oil until golden brown.
3. Walnuts can be ground in a coffee grinder.
4. Put the prepared lentils, vegetables, nuts into a deep container, add spices and mix the ingredients with a blender until a homogeneous texture is obtained, that is, a pate. The finished appetizer can be transferred to bowls and garnished with quarters of nuts.

Lentil casserole with cheese

Lentil casserole is an excellent choice for a light dinner. A healthy and incredibly tasty dish will be especially appreciated by those who choose a healthy lifestyle.

Ingredients:

220 g of beans;
100 g of Adyghe cheese;
egg;
teaspoon curry;
salt.

Cooking method:

1. Rinse the lentils and cook until all the liquid is gone.
2. We beat the egg, salt, curry into the cooled overcooked lentils and add the Adyghe cheese, which you can simply crumble with your hands.
3. We take a baking dish, cover it with parchment paper and spread the dough. We bake the dish in the oven at a temperature of 200 degrees for an hour.

Ragout with tomatoes and corn

Lentil stew with vegetables is a fragrant, satisfying and appetizing dish. Lentils go well with all vegetables, and if you add a little spice and garlic, then an amazing taste is born.

Ingredients:

220 g lentils;
5-6 tomatoes (700 g of tomatoes in their own juice);
2 carrots;
2-3 cloves of garlic;
2 onions;
80 g of corn;
200 ml vegetable broth;
Art. a spoonful of red wine vinegar;
2 teaspoons of curry, cumin, salt;
black pepper, olive oil.

Cooking method:

1. In a preheated pan in olive oil, fry the chopped onions and carrots. As soon as the vegetables are browned, add chopped garlic to them and fry for another minute.
2. Put the tomatoes in a deep container, chop them with a blender.
3. Put the washed beans, fried vegetables, tomatoes, corn and all spices into the pan. Stir, pour the broth and put on the stove. As soon as the stew boils, reduce the fire and simmer under the lid for 40 minutes.
4. Give the finished dish time to brew, season with wine vinegar before serving.

Black lentil and chickpea curry

Lentil curry is the most popular dish in Sri Lanka. Black bean curry is hearty, healthy and amazingly delicious. The taste of beans, which are boiled in coconut milk along with seasonings, is especially impressive.

You can make your own coconut milk or buy a ready-made product. But the taste of homemade and purchased are two huge differences. Making coconut milk is pretty easy. All you need is one coconut and water. Peel the coconut from the shell, grate the pulp on a fine grater, pour it with water and squeeze it with your hands for several minutes. As soon as the water turns white, strain the milk through a sieve.

Ingredients:

200 g lentils (black);
200 g chickpeas;
bulb;
50 g ginger;
2 cloves of garlic;
2 tomatoes;
300 ml coconut milk;
2 teaspoons of cumin, coriander;
tsp turmeric;
1 teaspoon curry.

Cooking method:

1. Soak lentils and chickpeas for 2 hours. Boil the swollen beans for an hour.
2. Pour vegetable oil into the pan, if there is, then coconut oil. Fry the chopped onion in it.
3. As soon as the onion is browned, add chopped garlic and ginger. Cook for a few more minutes, put the coriander and cumin seeds. We wait a couple of minutes for all the seasonings to reveal their aroma. Now you can add finely chopped tomatoes and simmer for 5 minutes.
4. We combine ready-made beans with vegetables, add turmeric and curry powder, pour a glass of water and cook for 20 minutes. After the time has elapsed, add coconut milk, bring to a boil and turn off the heat.
5. The dish can be served with herbs and rice.

Features of cooking dishes from lentils

1. There are about ten varieties of lentils that differ in color, shape and cooking method. Therefore, it is important to know which variety is suitable for preparing a particular dish.
 black, green and brown are suitable for making porridges;
 orange, yellow and red are good options for soups and stews.
2. The processing time also depends on the variety. French lentils cook quickly, red and brown lentils take a little longer, green lentils take the longest to cook.
3. Sort and wash the grain before cooking. It is not necessary to soak them, just as you should not add salt to the water, which will only prevent them from being boiled quickly.
4. Proportions: for salads 1:1, for cereals and stews, the amount of water can be doubled.
5. The use of spices such as coriander, black pepper, turmeric, dried and fresh ginger will help the body absorb the legume easily.

Red lentils can be used as the basis for a wide variety of hearty dishes. Delicious soups, side dishes, full-fledged hot meat dishes and even cutlets without minced meat are prepared from it. Such treats are also very economical.

Prepare in advance:

• red lentils - 1 full glass;
• onion and carrot - 1 pc.;
• potatoes - 2 small tubers;
• tomato paste - 2 dessert spoons;
• lime juice - 1 dessert spoon;
• dried mint - 0.5 tsp;
• dried chopped basil - 1/3 teaspoon;
• hot water - 6 tbsp.;
• fatter oil, salt.

We will prepare like this:

1. Fry randomly chopped onions and carrots in a heavy-bottomed pot. Vegetables should soften well.
2. Rinse the lentils, then send it to the pan.
3. Fry the ingredients together for 1 - 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
4. Put a paste of fresh tomatoes and small cubes of peeled potatoes.
5. Pour everything with warm water and salt.
6. After the start of the boil, cook the treat for a little more than half an hour. Be sure to stir the mass regularly and make sure that it does not burn.
7. Puree cooked vegetables. Enter all other ingredients stated in the recipe. Mix everything.
8. Boil the food for another quarter of an hour after boiling again.

Serve red lentil soup with butter.

How to cook beans for a side dish

Ingredients:

• lentils - 400 - 430 g;
• thick tomato paste - 60 g;
• onion - 100 - 130 g;
• water - 3 l;
• salt, oil, parsley in any form.

Cooking:

1. Soak the beans in cold water overnight (this amount of liquid is not taken into account in the recipe).
2. Drain the water from the lentils, replace with a new one (half the amount stated in the recipe). After boiling, rinse the beans. Fill them with the remaining clean liquid.
3. Add about 1 dessert spoon of any vegetable oil to the water. It will help soften the beans.
4. Cook lentils until soft. This process usually takes about an hour. Do not cover the dishes with a lid so that the beans do not darken.
5. About 5 - 7 minutes before the readiness to salt the lentils.
6. Finely chop the onion. Fry in oil until golden brown. Mix it with tomato paste and cook in a skillet for a couple more minutes.
7. Place the beans in a bowl with the fry. Add chopped fresh or dried parsley.

Simmer the ingredients together over low heat for another 7 to 8 minutes. It is delicious to serve the resulting side dish with any meat.

Turkish first course

Ingredients:

• red lentils - 2 full glasses (pre-soaked for 3 - 4 hours in water);
• olive oil - ¼ st.;
• carrots, garlic (slices), onions - 2 pcs.;
• tomato - 4 pcs.;
• green salad pepper - 1 pc.;
• tomato paste - 1 dessert spoon;
• chicken broth - 8 tbsp.;
• minced chicken - 430 g;
• cracker crumbs - 3 dessert spoons;
• salt, herbs, pepper.

Cooking:

1. Rinse prepared beans.
2. Heat olive oil in a heavy bottomed pan.
3. Immediately send all vegetables into it, except for tomatoes, cut into pieces. Garlic can be chopped into thin slices.
4. Cook all 6 - 7 minutes in boiling oil, stirring often.
5. Add tomato slices and pasta, as well as salt and pepper.
6. After another 5-6 minutes, transfer the beans to a container. Pour everything with chicken broth.
7. After boiling the mass, remove the foam from the surface of the liquid. Simmer the future soup over low heat for about 2 hours.
8. Add salt. You can add a pinch of granulated sugar if you wish. It will make the taste of treats brighter and more interesting.
9. Salt minced meat. Make miniature balls out of it and roll in breadcrumbs. Send them to soup.
10. After boiling, cook the treat for about 20 minutes over low heat.

Serve the finished red lentil dish to the table hot, after sprinkling with chopped fresh / dried herbs.

Lenten cutlets

Ingredients:

• red lentils - 1 tbsp.;
• onions - 6 heads;
• breadcrumbs - 1/3 tbsp.;
• red and black pepper - a large pinch each;
• salt and oil.

Cooking:

1. Soak the beans in cold water for about 4 to 5 hours. It is necessary that they increase in size by approximately 3 times.
2. Send the lentils to a colander to drain excess liquid.
3. Chop the whole onion into small cubes. Send them to a cast-iron skillet with plenty of sunflower oil. Fry the vegetable until golden brown.
4. Mix the roast with the swollen beans. Blend them in a blender until smooth. It is best to do this in small portions.
5. Add pepper and salt.
6. Pour in all the crumb crumbs stated in the recipe.
7. Spoon cutlets into the pan and fry until browned on both sides.

Serve with your favorite hot sauce.

Cooking with chicken in a slow cooker

Ingredients:

• red beans - 1.5 tbsp.;
• chicken fillet - 670 - 700 g;
• bell pepper - 1 pod;
• ripe tomato - 1 pc.;
• clean water - 3 full glasses;
• carrots - 1 pc.;
• salt, spices, oil, herbs.

Cooking:

1. Grate the carrots and send them to the bowl of the kitchen "helper". Fry in a suitable mode until soft with the addition of a small amount of oil.
2. Pour the meat pieces over the carrots. Simmer the ingredients together until the color of the chicken changes.
3. Add pieces of tomato and pepper.
4. When all vegetables are soft, turn off the mode.
5. Pour water into the container. Pour the washed legumes, spices and salt.
6. Cook in the program for pilaf for 80 - 90 minutes.

Sprinkle the resulting dish generously with herbs.

Lentil sauce for spaghetti

Ingredients:

• red lentils - 300 - 320 g;
• celery - 100 - 120 g;
• carrot - 100 g;
• tomato paste - 2/3 tbsp.;
• pure water - 430 ml;
• salt, spices, oil.

Cooking:

1. Cook beans until soft. To make this happen faster, you should soak them in cold water in advance.
2. Coarsely grate peeled carrots and celery.
3. Fry the ingredients from the second step in oil and spices until golden brown.
4. Send cooked lentils to fry along with pasta and salt.
5. Mix everything. To fill with water.
6. Cook the mass over low heat with frequent stirring for 12 - 14 minutes.

In the process, the gravy will thicken from further boiling of the lentils. Season with salt if needed and serve with pasta.

Salad with red lentils

Ingredients:

• beets - 2 pcs.;
• red lentils - 130 g;
• Feta - 80 g;
• olive oil - 5 tbsp. l.;
• apple cider vinegar - 1 dess. the spoon;
• red onion - 2 heads;
• tomatoes - 2 pcs.;
• sugar and honey - 1 dess. spoon
• red pepper, curry, salt - a pinch each.

Cooking:

1. Wash the beets and chop each into 4 parts directly with the skin. Sprinkle with all spices, salt and sugar. Drizzle with honey, oil and vinegar.

Ingredients per cup of legumes:

• sweet carrot - 3 pcs.;
• butter - 270 - 300 g;
• salt, spices.

Cooking:

1. Salt the beans and cook until fully cooked.
2. Coarsely rub the carrots and stew in a small portion of butter with spices. Turmeric and curry work well here.
3. Mix products. Break with a blender. Salt to taste.
4. Combine with remaining softened butter. Puree again.

Serve chilled with crispy toast.

These dishes are not only budgetary and tasty, but also have a positive effect on human health. The benefits of red lentils in any form are confirmed by all modern nutritionists. For example, it stabilizes cholesterol levels and generally has a positive effect on the condition of the heart and blood vessels. In addition, it prevents the occurrence of cancer and improves the functioning of the digestive tract.

Red lentils are an excellent source of protein, vitamins and minerals. If cooked correctly, it will become a full-fledged dish that will fill you up perfectly during the days of Lent, and an excellent side dish, for example, with meat. Red lentils are considered a dietary product, so they are often used in weight loss programs. Cooking lentils according to this recipe is quite simple, and as a result you will get a hearty and healthy dish that you will surely enjoy!

Ingredients

In order to properly cook red lentils, you will need:

red lentils - 1 cup;

water - 2 glasses;

salt - to taste.

Cooking steps

Prepare the ingredients for the recipe.

Rinse the lentils thoroughly, changing the water several times. Then transfer the washed lentils to a saucepan, pour clean cold filtered water.

The ratio of cereals and liquid should be 1:2 (that is, 1 glass of lentils is poured with 2 glasses of water).

Cook red lentils over low heat, stirring occasionally. It is prepared quite quickly - 10-15 minutes and the grains become soft. Remove the pan from the heat, cover with a lid and let the dish rest for a while before serving.

The useful composition of lentils has made it one of the most popular dishes in many countries. Outwardly, this product is similar to flat round grains. Red lentils belong to the legume family, but unlike other varieties, they cook much faster.

The calorie content of 100 g of grains of this variety is 314 kcal. The product is rich in proteins, vitamins (groups A, B), iron, macro- and microelements. Red lentils, unlike other varieties of this legume family, should be boiled for 20-30 minutes. It is great for making side dishes. Since the grains boil quickly and do not have a shell, they make delicious puree, porridge and puree soup.

Preparatory stage

Regardless of what you plan to cook from grains (soup or side dish), you should prepare the product before starting the heat treatment. Rinse the lentils thoroughly in cold water and get rid of the debris that has floated to the surface. You do not need to pre-soak the grains in water, as is the case with beans or peas.

You can cook the product in salted water or add salt 5 minutes before cooking. If you salt the grains at the beginning, then the heat treatment period will increase. Chefs recommend tossing legumes into boiling water already, so the likelihood of overcooking the product will decrease. After the water in the pan boils, VVM should reduce the heat, cover the container with a lid and cook the dish until cooked.

Cooking method in a saucepan

A universal method of preparing a side dish is considered to be cooking a dish in a saucepan. The process consists of the following steps:

• The grains are thoroughly washed under cold water. For 1 cup of lentils, you need to take 2 cups of water.
• Water is poured into the pan and put on the stove, brought to a boil.
• Grains are poured into already boiling water and brought to a boil again.
• In the process of cooking, 1 tbsp is added to the pan. a spoonful of olive oil to make the grains soft and pleasant to the taste.
• Porridge is periodically stirred, so that the cereal does not stick to the bottom of the pan. 5 minutes before the end, the dish should be salted to taste.

How to cook a side dish in a slow cooker?

No less tasty porridge will turn out if you cook it in a slow cooker. In the case when you decide to choose this method of cooking, you must first find out what ingredients will be required and how long they need to be prepared.

Main ingredients for the dish:

• 1.5 cups of grains;
• 1 onion;
• 1 carrot;
• 2 cloves of garlic;
• 4 tbsp. spoons of adjika;
• salt and pepper.

Before preparing the side dish, you should process the vegetables: grate the carrots, cut the onion into cubes, finely chop the garlic. Carrots along with onions should be cooked on the “Baking” function for 10 minutes. Then you need to add the previously prepared garlic and put this mixture for another 10 minutes. It is recommended to add washed grains to vegetables and pour them with 2.5 cups of boiling water. You need to cook the mixture for another 40-50 minutes. on the “Porridge” or “Pilaf” function, having previously seasoned the consistency with adjika (you can use tomato juice), as well as salt and pepper.

Cooking in the microwave

You will be surprised how many minutes you can cook a lentil side dish in the microwave. The process will take only 10 minutes, and such a dish will turn out quite tender and fragrant.

Cooking porridge consists of the following steps:

• The washed grains are poured into a special dish.
• The product is poured with boiling water and salted to taste.
• The dish is set to the "Vegetables" function, it can not be covered with a lid.
• Porridge is cooked for 7-10 minutes.
• If you want to get juicy lentil porridge, then you should cover the dishes with a lid and add more hot water to the container.

Light and delicious lentil soup puree

Preparing a tender first course from this product is very simple. This will require ingredients such as:

• 150 g of grains;
• 2 carrots;
• 1 onion;
• greens to taste;
• pepper and salt.

You should take a 4-liter pot while cooking, pour 3 liters of water into it. Add salt and pepper to the liquid as much as you think is necessary. Onions, cut into slices, and carrots, chopped into small pieces, are also thrown into the liquid. Next, add the washed legumes. Soup should be boiled for 25 minutes. After that, the finished consistency is crushed with a blender. Puree soup must be put on the stove and do not forget to stir so that it does not burn.

Using simple ways of preparing the product, you will get delicious, and most importantly, healthy dishes: a side dish, soup and even a dessert! Do not be afraid to experiment with red lentils, and then they will delight you with their amazing taste.

Cooking Healthy and Delicious Food: Lentil and Brussels Sprouts Soup

Brussels sprouts and lentils soup is rich in proteins, vitamins, microelements. The dish can be classified as a balanced diet, as nutritionists advise combining cereals and vegetables.

The uniqueness of red lentils is that, despite the high protein content and belonging to legumes, it cooks very quickly: in just 10-15 minutes. There is no need to pre-soak it. But you need to rinse it under running water.

In order for red lentils to retain all their beneficial properties, it is recommended to boil it in boiling water. That is, first bring water to a boil, and then the legumes are already immersed in it. During cooking, there is no need to add salt, as it slows down the process: the lentils take longer to boil. After cooking, you need to drain the water, and season the legumes with spices to give a special taste and aroma.

Red lentils are good to use in any dish, be it soup, stew, cutlets or salad. During cooking, the beans are added directly 7-10 minutes before they are cooked so that the grains do not lose their shape. Exception: puree soup, in which lentils are deliberately boiled to a state of gruel. It is noteworthy that the excess boiled beans can be cooled and put in the freezer. If necessary, red lentils are simply thawed and heated in a pan to get a fully cooked side dish.

Those who follow their figure and the number of calories consumed should pay attention to dishes based on this legume. Red (Egyptian) lentils are dietary and healthy independent products that do not require any additives. It can be added to any salads, served with any side dish, used as a filling for pies and pies. To prevent the lentils from sticking to the pan while cooking, you can add a tablespoon of vegetable or olive oil to the water during cooking.

In Asian cuisine, it is red lentils that are widely used. A national soup is prepared from it.

Recipe for Oriental Red Lentil Chowder

Necessary:

1 glass of lentils;
5 pieces. medium sized tomatoes;
1 onion;
4 cloves of garlic;
2 tbsp. tablespoons of vegetable oil;
1.5 liters of water;
spices and seasonings - to taste.

How to cook:

The onion is cut into cubes and fried until golden brown.


Washed red lentils are poured into it for a few minutes.


Then it is boiled in boiling water for another 10 minutes, carefully monitoring so that it does not boil.


Tomatoes, garlic and greens are crushed, added to onions and stewed over low heat.


In a large saucepan, mix all the ingredients (do not drain the water from the lentils).


The stew is seasoned with oil and spices, brought to a boil, then removed from the heat.


Lemon juice is added to the dish before serving.


For beauty, sometimes decorate with greenery.

Bon appetit!