How to cook different varieties of lentils. Undeservedly forgotten plant

23.08.2019 Soups

Legumes are often referred to as "vegetable meats." And not in vain! Beans, beans, lentils, and peas are rich in folate, flavonoids, calcium, magnesium and carbohydrates. Their protein is very similar in chemical composition to meat protein. Bean dishes are a great choice for those on a diet or healthy diet.

Green Lentil Dishes

There are several types of lentils. Brown is mainly used in salads, because when heat treated, it gives a persistent smell of nuts. Red is typical for Asian dishes, it has a spicy taste and characteristic aroma. In Russian cuisine, red is used mainly in mashed potatoes or soups. Green lentils - also called French or "puy" - can be a stand-alone dish, side dish or salad base.

In Germany, lentils are an obligatory dish on the Christmas table, and in China and India they are consumed as much as rice.

Lentil stew

Make a delicious green lentil stew. You will need: - 2 cups of green lentils; - 2 tbsp. olive oil; - 2 tomatoes; - 1 young carrot; - 2 onions.

Put a pot of water on the fire. While the water is boiling, sort out the lentils and rinse under running water. No need to soak.

Dip the fruit in boiling water. Be sure to turn down the heat, the fruits should not so much boil as languish. Timed 25 minutes. Don't forget to stir. After the time has passed, taste the fruits: if the core is hard, salt, cover and hold for another 5 minutes.

When the lentils are soft but not out of shape, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and rosemary. Cover and set aside.

Cut the tomatoes, onions into small cubes, chop the young carrots. Dip the vegetables into a well-heated skillet, after pouring the oil into it. Please note that the oil needs to be salted. Saute vegetables. Tomatoes will give abundant juice, it needs to be evaporated, then put ready-made lentils in a pan with vegetables and mix everything - the dish is ready.

Lentil soup

You will need: - 300 g of beef, - 1 glass of green lentils, - 1 onion, - 1 medium-sized tomato.

Boil the meat until tender and strain the broth. Chop and sauté the onion and tomato. Bring the broth to a boil, add a glass of green lentils and cook for 20 minutes. Season the broth with cooked vegetables, add the chopped meat and salt. Lentil soup is ready.

Tasty and healthy!

Lentils also have very specific remedies. Its decoction is recommended for those suffering from cholelithiasis and hypertension, thanks to the potassium content, it perfectly restores the vascular activity of the body.

Lentil porridge is useful for those who have problems with the genitourinary system, ulcers and colitis. Legumes are also useful for nervous people: the minerals contained in the fruits calm the nervous system, have a relaxing effect on the body.

Green lentils contain a lot of fiber, both soluble and insoluble, necessary for the normal functioning of the digestive system, cleaning the intestines of toxins, regulating the balance of fats in the body, normalizing blood sugar fluctuations and performing many other important functions.

Regular consumption of lentils is an integral part of naturopathic treatment for patients with high triglycerides and cholesterol, for patients with diabetes and chronic constipation.

Lentil protein is absorbed much easier than meat protein or even more dairy protein, and if you eat lentils at the same time as cereals (with rice, quinoa, or even just with whole-flour bread), then the body receives a full set of essential amino acids that form a complete protein.

Lentils, like all legumes, are rich in trace elements, especially magnesium, which is necessary for the full functioning of the heart and nervous system, molybdenum and iron. In order for this iron to be well absorbed, lentil dishes must be served with a salad made from fresh vegetables rich in vitamin C - tomatoes, red peppers, fresh herbs. It is not in vain that almost all Indian lentil dishes are necessarily sprinkled with fresh cilantro or parsley.

The study, conducted in the United States, Finland, the Netherlands, Italy, Greece, Japan and the former Yugoslavia, surveyed 16,000 men who had been eating habits for 25 years. The researchers found that dairy products are preferred in Northern Europe, meat is preferred in the US, soybeans, fish and grains are preferred in Japan, and vegetables, legumes and fish are preferred in southern Europe. Statistics gathered during the survey confirmed that regular consumption of legumes reduces the risk of heart disease by 82%.

Lentils are a very good source of tryptophan, an amino acid that is converted into serotonin in the human body. As everyone knows, a lack of serotonin leads to depression, anxiety, and just a bad mood, especially in the dark. Meanwhile, serotonin levels can be boosted with both whole grain rice, the most readily available source of tryptophan, and green lentils, or even better, continually cooking majadara, a mixture of rice and lentils that an Arabic proverb calls meat for the poor, hinting at whole protein. contained in this dish.

The variations on the Madjadara theme are virtually endless. It can be Lebanese, Druze, Syrian and Iraqi, and all these options have one thing in common: Majadara is always a mixture of lentils and rice with fried onions, olive oil and spices. Majadara is served with green onions and salad of cucumbers, mint, garlic and yogurt.

Legumes are traditionally considered hard to digest, but lentils are a happy exception - they don't even need to be soaked the day before because they are usually easy to digest, except in very few cases. However, almost all lentil dishes traditionally contain spices that help the digestive system - cumin, fennel, pepper, ginger, and many others.

From the point of view of Chinese medicine, lentils are considered a warming food, and if they are cooked with spices, their warming effect is greatly increased. Therefore, lentils, especially their soup, are very suitable for the winter diet of northern people.

Green lentils are used raw and boiled, and mature lentils are used only after boiling. Green lentils can be used to prepare various dietary meals for patients suffering from peptic ulcer disease, gastritis, hepatitis, cholecystitis, pyelonephritis, atherosclerosis, hypertension, rheumatism. Dishes from green and mature lentils are recommended for suppurative lung diseases, tuberculosis, traumatic lesions of the musculoskeletal system.

The nutritional value:
In 100 gr. boiled green lentils contain:
Energy value: 116 kcal.
Protein: 9 gr.
Carbohydrates: 20.1 gr.
Fiber: 7.9 grams.
Fat: 0.4 gr.
Saturated Fatty Acids: 0.1 g
Monounsaturated fatty acids: 0.1 g
Polyunsaturated fatty acids: 0.2 gr.
Fatty acids from the Omega-3 group: 37 mg.
Fatty acids from the Omega-6 group: 137 mg.
Vitamin B1: 0.2 mg.
Vitamin B2: 0.1 mg.
Vitamin B3: 1.1 mg.
Vitamin B6: 0.2 mg.
Folic acid: 181 mcg.
Pantothenic Acid: 0.6 mg.
Choline: 32.7 mg
Calcium: 19 mg
Iron: 3.3 mg.
Magnesium: 36 mg
Phosphorus: 180 mg.
Potassium: 369 mg
Sodium: 2 mg.
Zinc: 1.3 mg.
Copper: 0.3 mg.
Manganese: 0.5 mg.
Selenium: 2.8 mcg

The exact numbers may vary depending on the specific product.

Lentils are soft beans, they are sold dried, to make it tasty, you need to know how to cook lentils. They use it in first courses, prepare side dishes, cereals, meatballs. The best recipes will allow you to cook not tasty, but also healthy, because the beans are rich in proteins, iron, potassium, carbohydrates, and contain folic acid. You can cook them both in the classic way and in a multicooker.

There are many varieties of lentils, these beans come in different colors, flavors and shapes. Different varieties are used in certain categories of dishes. Especially popular are red, yellow, black, green, orange and brown lentils. Brown and black are taken for the preparation of side dishes and cereals, since during heat treatment their grains retain their shape.

In the first courses, red, yellow beans and orange lentils are good - these grains are quickly boiled during heat treatment, they are not suitable in cereals, since they can turn into mashed potatoes, but in soups they cook quickly. A green plate is a large lentil, therefore it is suitable both for light stews and in a salad, and for preparing a beautiful aromatic side dish.

Before cooking the beans, they should be sorted out - remove the debris and husks, to make it more convenient, you can pour the lentils into a white dish or on a white towel - this way the debris is more visible. Then transfer it to a sieve or colander and rinse for a couple of minutes under running water.

We prepare the product depending on its color - orange and red lentils are cooked for 15-20 minutes, they boil well and go into creamy soups. Brown one is cooked for 25-30 minutes, it retains its shape well and goes to garnish. Green beans are boiled for 40-45 minutes, thanks to the dense consistency of green beans, they are good for making salads. Black lentils will be ready in 20-25 minutes, they go into porridge. Yellow - after 10-15 minutes, most often it is used in the first.

You can use chopped lentils in mashed soups, they will cook in just ten to twenty minutes, they are cheaper, and the shape of the beans in mashed soups is not important.

To add spice to lentil dishes, it is good to put lavrushka, celery roots and herbs, parsley, sprigs of fresh rosemary, thyme in them, season with nutmeg - the beans go well with spices. To properly cook lentils is to salt the dishes with them at the very end, 5 minutes before the end of cooking, this is the rule for cooking all legumes - they take longer to cook in salted water.

Multicooker recipes

Lentils are prepared simply and quickly using a multicooker, you don't even have to think about how to cook properly, because the multicooker does it itself. All recipes here are based on the same principle - you just need to take prepared beans and other products in the volumes that these recipes provide, place all the ingredients in a multi-bowl, mix gently with a plastic spatula, close the lid, select the Multi-Cook mode, and an hour later - a great aromatic dish is ready.

It is worth experimenting with a multicooker, making changes to the recipes or supplementing them according to your own taste, each time creating a new lentil culinary masterpiece.

Green lentils with corn

To prepare this dish you will need:

  • green variety - 1 multi-glass;
  • 1 multi-glass of cold water;
  • 1 sweet pepper;
  • 1 chopped celery root;
  • 200 g corn - frozen or canned;
  • 4 tablespoons of tomato paste (adjika can be used);
  • 1 tablespoon mustard beans
  • A pinch of paprika or dried chili peppers.

Everything is thoroughly mixed in a multi-bowl, water is added and simmered for 1 hour. If not enough salty, add salt at the end of cooking.

Red lentil porridge

Red porridge with tomatoes is a great dish for the whole family. To prepare it, you will need the following products:

  • 1 multi-cup red beans
  • 2 multi-glasses of water;
  • 2-3 tomatoes (or tomato paste);
  • 1 head of onion;
  • 1 carrot;
  • 2 cloves of garlic;
  • - 3 tablespoons;
  • Coarse salt - 1 teaspoon;
  • Ground black pepper - a pinch.

Allow water to drain well from the washed beans, pour fresh tomatoes with boiling water, immerse in ice water for two seconds, peel and puree, wash and peel the carrots and onions, chop the onions finely, rub the carrots. Pour oil into a multi-bowl and simmer vegetables for 7-10 minutes, at the end add garlic, pounded to gruel. Pour in lentils, add mashed tomatoes, pour in water. Mix the ingredients gently. Cook in the "porridge" position for 20-25 minutes. Season the dish with salt and pepper after cooking.

Cooking on the stove

Regardless of which recipes are used to make lentils, they are cooked on the stove in two ways.

Cold method: for 1 volume of lentils of any color, take 2 volumes of unboiled water and coarse salt - at the rate of 1 tsp. three glasses of these products. Sort the lentils, rinse, pour into a bowl, pour in water and bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and, closing the pan, bring to readiness. Cook for as many minutes as it takes to cook this variety. Season with salt shortly before the end of cooking. If you cook for a salad or for a side dish, drain the water at the end of cooking, leave the liquid for porridge and mashed potatoes.

Hot method: for 1 volume of any beans - 2 volumes of unboiled water, coarse salt - at the rate of 1 tsp. for three glasses of food. Sort out the lentils, rinse. Boil the water, add the prepared beans, cook until tender in a closed saucepan, at the end of cooking, add salt. How to cook lentil soup - the following dish ideas will tell you.

Orange Lentil Soup

Orange variety cream soup is popular in the countries of the East. You will need:

  • 0.5 cups orange beans
  • 2.5 liters of water;
  • Potatoes - 3 pcs.;
  • 1 carrot;
  • 1 onion;
  • Low fat cream;
  • Salt, black pepper;
  • Sprigs of parsley.

Boil the salted and peppered water. Wash and peel potatoes and carrots, chop into cubes, finely chop the onion. Sort the beans, rinse, place them with vegetables in boiled water, cook over low heat for 20-25 minutes. At the end of cooking, beat until creamy. Serve with cream and parsley leaves. This soup will turn into a dietary dish if potatoes are replaced with celery stalks.

Red lentil soup

Thick Red Lentil Soup This flavorful soup is made with lots of beans and vegetables in a little water. Required components:

  • 200 g of red beans;
  • 2 cups meat broth;
  • Red onion;
  • 1 carrot;
  • A spoonful of tomato;
  • Black pepper and crushed cumin seeds - pinch at a time, salt to taste;
  • A couple of cloves of garlic;
  • Mint, lemon juice.

Sort out the lentils, rinse, rub the carrots and garlic, chop the onion as small as possible. Dip the main ingredients into the broth, add tomato sauce, add spices. Let it boil, then cook over low heat for 30 minutes - until all the ingredients are well boiled. Turn off the heat, use a hand blender on low speed to prevent the soup from splashing, purée the ingredients. Season the soup with salt, squeeze the lemon juice into a plate and decorate with mint leaves.

Lentil porridge is unusually satisfying. For their nutritional value, they were present on the menu of Egyptian pyramid builders. The product is in harmony with white meat and mushrooms.

Brown Lentil Porridge

Porridge made from brown beans with chicken and mushrooms, for a meal you need:

  • A glass of brown beans;
  • Water - 2.5 cups;
  • 500 g of chicken;
  • 250 g of champignons;
  • A pair of onion heads;
  • A little vegetable oil for frying;
  • Paprika powder, a pinch of black pepper, salt.

Sort the lentils, rinse, place in a cooking bowl, add water, cook for about half an hour. Lightly fry the mushrooms and chopped onions. Cut the chicken into small cubes, fry in hot oil until light crust, place with mushrooms and onions, add spices, a couple of tablespoons of water and simmer for three minutes. Puree the beans or leave them whole, transfer to the mushrooms and chicken and put in the oven for 10 minutes.

Black lentil porridge

Black Bean Porridge with Chicken is an exquisite dish made from black beans and chicken fillets. We take:

  • Black variety - glass;
  • Chicken fillet - 350 g;
  • 600 ml of water;
  • A pair of bulbs;
  • Tomato sauce - 25 g;
  • Pepper, ground cumin seeds, curry, salt;
  • For frying - a little oil.

Fillets are coarsely chopped, fried for ten minutes with onions, at the last minute, tomato sauce is added to them. The beans are boiled for a quarter of an hour. After - combine them with chicken, sprinkle with curry and bake in the oven for about seven minutes.

Stew with yellow lentils

An appetizing stew with yellow lentils looks elegant - you will need:

  • A glass of yellow beans;
  • 600 ml of water;
  • Broth from meat, poultry or vegetables - 200 ml;
  • 2 potato tubers;
  • 1 carrot;
  • A pair of garlic cloves;
  • Curry;
  • For frying - a little oil.

Boil the yellow lentils. Heat crushed garlic, grated ginger and curry in hot oil. Chop vegetables into cubes, place in a pan, simmer for five minutes. Place the beans there, add the broth, simmer for about another five minutes. Serve garnished with a lime wedge. The green (plate) variety is suitable for many dishes. Beans of this variety are beautiful and tasty meatballs. For them you will need:

  • Half a glass of plate lentils;
  • 1 carrot;
  • Red onion;
  • - 2 pcs.;
  • A few cloves of garlic to taste;
  • A pinch of ground cumin and coriander;
  • Coarse salt;
  • Vegetable oil for frying;
  • Fresh parsley.

Boil the beans for 45 minutes, remove from the water, allow to cool and puree. Finely chop the onion, grate the carrots and garlic, mix with caraway seeds and coriander in the puree. Drive eggs into the mass and add, salt, mix, making the mass homogeneous. Form flat round meatballs from minced meat and fry in a hot frying pan for three to four minutes on each side until light crust. Serve lentil meatballs, decorated with parsley sprigs, with sour cream.

This culture comes from legumes. Its appearance resembles colored peas of various sizes. The kernels can be as large as rice or larger than peas. The taste of the product corresponds to its origin; it is a pronounced bean with a light sweetness. Lentils are of different types: red, brown, green ...

Now we will focus on how to cook green lentils. This variety of legumes takes time to prepare, it is a rather capricious product, but you should not immediately panic, let's start with the simplest.

So how long should this product be boiled? And what can you cook from it?

Green lentil cooking rules

To cook delicious lentils, you need to heed the following tips:

  • The grains must be thoroughly washed and sorted out, pebbles, sand, dry twigs may come across them;
  • Before cooking, it must be filled with water and allowed to stand for a couple of hours. The grains will take the necessary water during this time;
  • The product should be cooked for about forty minutes on low heat, constantly trying. This is a very delicate culture, it is quite easy to miss the moment of cooking, especially for people who first encounter it. At the moment, the lentils taste like dry peas, and five minutes later, porridge can be found in the pan;
  • Do not salt! This, by the way, applies not only to lentils, but also to other legumes. If you neglect this rule and salt a raw dish, it will instantly chill and burst.

For those who don't know what exactly to cook with these green grains, below are simple recipes for preparing mouth-watering dishes.

Green lentil soup with croutons

For this dish you will need the following products:


  • lentils 0.5 cups;
  • onion 1 pc;
  • carrots 1pc;
  • spices and salt to taste;
  • olive oil;
  • two slices of white bread;
  • low-fat cream.

It is worth noting that this recipe will appeal to those housewives who cannot catch the moment of cooking the grains. Even if they are slightly overcooked, nothing terrible will happen, because they still need to be ground with a blender.

How much to cook green lentils has already been said above. First, it must be soaked in water for a couple of hours, so that it is softer and faster to cook, and put on fire.

  1. Peel and chop the onions and carrots. Then the vegetables must be fried in olive oil until golden brown.
  2. For croutons, the bread should be cut into cubes, put on a baking sheet and sent to the oven for 10 minutes. As soon as the croutons are fried, they must be pulled out and sprinkled with olive oil.
  3. The cooked lentils are mixed with half of the aromatic vegetables, after which everything is salted, seasoned with spices of your choice, filled with water in which the legumes were cooked.
  4. The resulting mass is whipped with a blender until a creamy structure is formed. The remaining onions and carrots are also put here.

It is better to serve puree soup in small bowls with the addition of low-fat cream and croutons.

The unique aroma of unusual peas and croutons, the tenderness of the structure of the soup will appeal to the whole family. Such a dish perfectly diversifies the dining table and will delight guests.

Smoke Lentils Recipe

Many people know that the combination of legumes with smoked meats is especially tasty. This recipe is intended for those housewives who want to please their loved ones with just such a dish, as well as know how to cook delicious green lentils.

For this dish you will need:


  • 1 cup lentils
  • 300 grams of smoked meat of your choice;
  • bulb;
  • a few cloves of garlic;
  • sunflower oil for frying;
  • salt, a mixture of peppers, if desired;
  • greens, preferably dill.

Here you need to carefully monitor the preparation of green culture. It's not as easy as making cereal. Do not be shy about trying it during cooking, so as not to spoil the product.

Overcooked grains do not look very nice, while undercooked product looks more like dried peas:

  • Smoked meat should be chopped into strips, onions - into thin half rings, garlic - into slices;
  • First, you need to fry the smoked meat in sunflower oil, then toss the onion. As soon as it becomes transparent, add garlic to the pan, and after five minutes - boiled legumes without water;
  • Simmer everything together for another three minutes on minimal heat, pre-salt and pepper. When serving, sprinkle with fresh herbs.

The aroma will gather in the kitchen not only the whole family, but also all the neighbors from the street. Believe me, legumes with smoked meat and garlic will become a frequent guest on the table. The recipe, as you can see, is very simple, and the dish is very tasty and satisfying.

Lentils with mushrooms

Protein is necessary for the human body. This is the building material for our cells. Most of this substance is found in meat. But what if now fasting or vegetarianism has become the basis of life?

It turns out that legumes contain a sufficient amount of protein, which is why dishes made from them are excellent, and most importantly, for a long time, satisfy the feeling of hunger.

To prepare one of them, you must prepare the following set of products:


  • 1 cup lentils
  • 300 grams of mushrooms;
  • bulb;
  • carrot;
  • a clove of garlic;
  • greens;
  • 0.5 cups of cream;
  • frying oil;
  • salt.

After such a dish with mushrooms, you can understand that meat is not so important when there is so much tasty around and fasting can be done with pleasure:

  1. The lentils are cooked until tender.
  2. Fry mushrooms with onions and carrots in oil.
  3. As soon as the vegetables are browned, add lentils to them.
  4. Season with salt, garlic, finely chopped herbs and pour cream over everything.
  5. Simmer everything over low heat, otherwise the cream will curdle. The dish is ready in 5 minutes.

Lentils are soft beans that are sold dried. It can be used in the form of cereals, soups, side dishes, stews, cutlets. But in order to achieve the unforgettable taste of these beans, you need to know how to cook lentils. Modern recipes will allow you to achieve a delicious culinary masterpiece using the multicooker or the traditional way on the stove.

How much to cook lentils until tender

Before cooking lentils, it must be sorted out, separating garbage, 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 I need to soak lentils before cooking? In order for the grains to retain their shape and not become very soft during cooking, they do not need to be soaked beforehand.

Lentil cooking time can be anywhere from 10 to 45 minutes, depending on the dish you are preparing. If you purchased chopped beans, then in 10-20 minutes you will have a mushy mass. These lentils cook quickly, making them ideal for puree soups. You can increase the boil of whole beans to 45 minutes, leaving the lentils to simmer under the lid until they are completely softened.

Features of cooking red, black, green and yellow lentils

There are about 11 varieties of lentils, which differ in color, grain shape, taste, and even cooking method. The popularity of this product is growing every year, so it is important to know what lentils are useful for and how to cook them. Usefulness lies in 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 with these beans is beneficial for:

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

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

How to cook lentils in a slow cooker

In order not to take up a lot of personal time, we recommend using a multicooker. This unique multifunctional device will allow you to get a ready-made dish without additional difficulties. You need to prepare the required ingredients and place them in the multicooker bowl. For cooking, you need the following ingredients:

  • washed green lentils - 1 multi-glass;
  • water - 1 multi-glass;
  • grain mustard - 1 tbsp. l .;
  • sweet pepper - 1 pc.;
  • freshly ground chili - 1 tbsp l .;
  • finely chopped one celery root;
  • canned corn - 200 g;
  • tomato sauce - 4 tbsp. l.

The cooking process includes several stages:

  1. Place these ingredients in a multicooker bowl and stir with a plastic spatula.
  2. Modern multi-cookers are equipped with many functions, among which there is the “Multi-cook” mode. Select this function, close the top cover of the device and you have one hour of free time while the technician prepares a chic lentil dish for you.

What dishes are made from lentils

There are a large number of options for cooking lentil dishes. These beans can be used alone as hearty cereals or in complex culinary creations. To spice up your breakfasts or surprise your family for dinner, prepare dishes based on lentils. You can, cutlets, a side dish for meat, and there are also recipes that describe in detail how to combine lentils with other types of cereals, vegetables.

Tip: To enhance the flavor of a cooked lentil dish, add a couple of bay leaves or a pinch of dried sage. You can also use the root or leaves of celery, parsley, or rosemary. It is recommended to salt and pepper lentil dishes at the very end of cooking.

How to make a puree soup

Puree soup is a thick soup that needs to be cooked with a lot of vegetables or cereals. To get the most healthy, tasty and satisfying dish, we recommend making a lentil puree soup. The correct preparation depends on the accuracy of observing all the proportions of the required ingredients. For this soup you will need:

  • red lentils - 200 gr;
  • chicken broth - 2 cups;
  • finely chopped red onion (medium) - 1 pc .;
  • a spoonful of tomato paste;
  • grated carrots - 1 pc.;
  • a pinch of caraway and pepper;
  • salt - 0.5 tsp;
  • clove of garlic;
  • lemon wedge and mint leaves;
  • submersible blender;
  • pan.

The puree soup is prepared using the following technology:

  1. In a large saucepan, combine lentils, broth, onions, carrots, garlic, tomato paste, cumin, pepper and bring to a simmer over high heat.
  2. Reduce heat and simmer until vegetables and beans are completely cooked through. This will take approximately 25 minutes.
  3. Remove the pan from heat and quickly soften the soup ingredients with a hand blender. You should have a smooth paste. When mixing, be careful not to splatter the hot soup with the blender, use a low speed.
  4. Then you need to add salt and squeeze out a slice of lemon. Garnish with mint leaves on top if you wish.

Lentils with chicken meat

For a family dinner for two you will need:

  • 300 grams of chicken breast;
  • a glass of brown lentils;
  • three glasses of water;
  • a tablespoon of tomato paste;
  • salt, pepper, cumin, curry;
  • large onion.

Let's tell you in stages, with chicken meat.

  1. Prepare the chicken breast by removing the bones and skin from the tenderloin.
  2. Chop the meat into large pieces and sauté with chopped onions and tomato paste. It takes about 10 minutes to cook the chicken breast.
  3. Then, boil the lentils for 15 minutes.
  4. Combine all ingredients in a heat-resistant container and bake in the oven for another 10 minutes.
  5. Add a teaspoon of curry to the dish to acquire a beautiful color and rich taste.

How to cook delicious lentils with vegetables

Lentils go well with all vegetables. You can cook it with potatoes, tomatoes, carrots, pumpkin, onions. But in order to do this, you need to prepare the following components:

  • two large potatoes;
  • ginger root;
  • clove of garlic;
  • one carrot;
  • curry - 1 tablespoon;
  • one glass of red lentils;
  • three glasses of water;
  • broth - 1 glass;
  • vegetable oil;
  • deep frying pan.
  1. First, you need to boil the lentils for 10-15 minutes until half cooked.
  2. Then put chopped garlic, ginger and curry into a preheated pan.
  3. After a couple of minutes, add the carrots and potatoes, which were previously cut into cubes. You need to cook for about 5 minutes.
  4. Then put the lentils in the pan and pour over everything with broth.
  5. Serve after five minutes, garnish with a slice of lime on top.

How to make lentil porridge correctly

Lentil porridges are rich in vitamins. To properly cook such a porridge, you need to strictly adhere to the proportions. You need to cook in a ratio of 1: 3, that is, pour three glasses of cold water into a saucepan over a glass of beans. Also, do not use chopped beans for cereals, as they quickly turn into a puree. After pouring water over the lentils, cook for an average of 15 minutes. Cooking time can be lengthened if you use black or brown lentils for porridge, which must be cooked for at least 25 minutes.

Lentil dishes for weight loss

The peculiarity of these beans is that they do not contain fat in their composition. The calorie content of cooked lentils reaches only 111 kcal. Therefore, you can use the lentil diet to normalize your weight. Eating cereals daily will contribute to rapid weight loss. The recipe is simple, so you can easily and quickly prepare it for breakfast. You will need:

  • red lentils - 100 g;
  • water - 3 glasses;
  • chopped half of the onion;
  • grated carrots - 1 pc .;
  • vegetable oil - 2 tbsp. l .;

Cover the thoroughly washed beans with cold water and cook for 15 minutes. From vegetables, make a dressing for porridge in a pan, fry the carrots and onions until golden brown. Combine all finished ingredients and mix. For diet porridge, do not use seasonings and salt. With the help of such a breakfast, you will be full all day and the diet will not cause difficulties in adhering to it.

Lentil cutlets: the best recipe with a photo

You can replace traditional meat cutlets with lentils. The recipe is simple, so to repeat it you will need to cook everything for no more than 30 minutes. First, you need to decide on the ingredients and kitchen appliances that you need to prepare in advance. To make everything go quickly and accurately, adhere to the following list:

  • red or green lentils - half a cup.
  • coarse salt - a pinch.
  • two large eggs.
  • one cup of bread crumbs.
  • parsley - 2 sprigs.
  • olive oil - 2 cl. l
  • red onion - 1 head.
  • one large carrot.
  • cumin - ½ tsp
  • coriander - ½ tsp
  • garlic - 3 cloves.
  • large skillet.
  • a spatula for turning cutlets.
  • bowl.
  • blender.

Cooking lentil cutlets consists of the following steps:

  1. Pour three cups of water over the lentils and bring to a boil. The entire cooking process will take about 20 minutes. Then drain the water and let cool completely in a separate bowl.

  1. Place the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, diced red onions, eggs, breadcrumbs, coriander, cumin, coarse grated carrots, and parsley in a blender bowl. Stir everything until smooth.

  1. Then heat a large skillet with oil in it. Form small round lentil patties by lightly dipping in breadcrumbs. Place gently in a skillet and fry on one side until crisp and brown. It takes approximately 4 minutes to cook. Then it is necessary to turn the cutlets to the reverse side and repeat the frying process.

  1. Remove the finished lentil cutlets from the pan into a separate container. When cool, place on a large platter, pre-garnished with lettuce. On top of the cutlets, you can pour sour cream or mayonnaise, sprinkle with chopped red onions and parsley.

Recipe video: The most delicious lentil side dish

Lentil beans are ideal for cooking various dishes, as well as garnishes for meat and fish. To do this, you will need twenty minutes of free time and ingredients that are easy to find in your kitchen. If you don't know, we recommend watching a video where the chef tells in detail an amazing recipe for making a side dish. The exact proportions of the ingredients required for this dish are also provided so that you can replicate it at home.