Do you know why it is important to eat red lentils? How do they benefit our health, and what important nutrients do they contain? Red lentils cook in a few minutes, with no soaking needed. We will share some very tasty, simple and quick red lentil recipes with you. If you want to start eating more healthily, do not hesitate to add red lentils to your menu once a week.
Table of contents
Why eat red lentils?
Red lentils contain important vitamins, minerals, fibre, protein and many other beneficial nutrients that can help boost your immunity. They also have a low glycaemic index and are very good for digestion.
Red lentils contain B vitamins, especially B6, which improves mood, supports brain function and skin quality, and reduces morning sickness in pregnancy.
Red lentils contain more iron, which makes them a good choice for people with anaemia. Red lentils also contain calcium, selenium, zinc, potassium, magnesium, manganese and phosphorus.
Red lentils and the recipes made with them contain fibre. Fibre is very healthy. It helps you feel full and improves your digestion. Red lentils have a low glycaemic index, which helps regulate blood sugar levels, and they also slow down stomach emptying, and with it the emptying of your wallet. This also makes red lentils suitable for diets and for people with diabetes.
They are high not only in fibre but also in protein, which is why red lentils can be an excellent substitute for animal products. This makes red lentils, and pulses in general, suitable for vegetarians and vegans.
Yes, red lentils have many great qualities. They are also known to benefit the whole digestive system, especially bowel function, and they help prevent constipation. In addition, they are easy to digest and, unlike other pulses, red lentils do not cause bloating. Last but not least, they will also please those who want to eat more economically. A kilogram of red lentils is enough for several meals, they do not take long to prepare, and you will not mind cooking lentils for just 1-2 portions.
Red lentils, preparation
Preparing red lentils is very simple and quick. If you are not a confident cook, there is nothing to worry about. Unlike classic green lentils, red lentils are not soaked. You just need to rinse them thoroughly in cold water, unless you buy whole red lentils. Some cooks do not even recommend rinsing them thoroughly.
How to cook red lentils
- Rinse in cold water, then add fresh water (use about 180 ml of water for about 100 g of red lentils).
- Bring to the boil, remove the lid and cook for about 5 minutes. Add salt.
- Turn the hob down to the lowest setting or off and cover with a lid for about 10 minutes.
This method is suitable for split red lentils. In shops you can also buy whole red lentils, which take about 20 to 25 minutes to cook without soaking. If soaked for 2 hours beforehand, they cook in just 10 minutes.
Tip: If you cannot yet judge the amount of water, check the lentils while they cook so that most of the water does not boil away.
Red lentils, recipes
Red lentils can be prepared in many ways. Soups. Purées. Risotto. Fritters. Salad. And that is not all. I always decide based on what I fancy and what is in my fridge.
Here we present 4+1 recipes. Two of them are inspired by Indian cuisine, where red lentils are a staple food eaten in dozens of ways.
Red lentil salad
This recipe will especially delight vegetable lovers. This red lentil dish with tomatoes and peppers serves 4 people. Large supermarket chains now also sell ready-made red lentil salads, and they make a healthy snack that can replace a smaller full meal.
Ingredients:
- 400 g cooked red lentils
- 1 red pepper
- 1 yellow pepper
- 10 cherry tomatoes
- 1 red onion
- 1 tablespoon capers
- 2 handfuls of rocket
For the dressing:
- 1 tablespoon wholegrain mustard
- 85 ml olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
Method:
- It is very simple. Finely chop the onion, dice the peppers into small cubes, halve the tomatoes and cut the capers into larger pieces. Mix everything with the cooked lentils.
- Prepare the dressing separately. Add the mustard to the olive oil, followed by the lemon juice. Mix everything well. You can also add 1 teaspoon of all-purpose seasoning.
- Mix the red lentils and vegetables with the dressing and finally add the rocket.
Classic recipe with egg and gherkin
I must admit that until recently I knew this recipe by a completely different name. The name of the dish, sour red lentils, does not sound that appealing, but you should still give it a chance, it is an excellent recipe. The quantities serve 4 people.
Ingredients:
- 250 g red lentils
- 1 onion
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 tablespoon lard
- 2 tablespoons plain flour
- 3 tablespoons vinegar
- A pinch of pepper
- A pinch of salt
- 4 eggs
- 4 gherkins
- Bread
Method:
- Finely chop the onion, sweat it in lard and then cover it with water. Add the red lentils and cook until the lentils are soft.
- Add vinegar, crushed garlic, pepper, salt and flour mixed with water, which must be cold, to the red lentils and onion. Simmer the mixture briefly.
- Serve the red lentils on a plate with fried eggs, gherkins and bread.
Indian-style red lentils
Many of you will surely know those wonderful Indian dishes. If you do not, do not hesitate to visit a restaurant. Or try these recipes: red lentils with curry and red lentil soup with ginger and curry. You can cook them from the comfort of your own home using our instructions.
Red lentil curry
There are many recipes. The basic ingredients are: red lentils, onion, tomato purée, coconut milk, red curry paste, curry powder, freshly grated ginger, garlic and salt. Some people also add crushed cumin, fresh coriander, turmeric, chilli powder, star anise, sesame or rapeseed oil, shallots instead of regular onion, some vegetables and, above all, carrots.
Even so, a specific recipe for red lentil curry would come in handy. Here it is.
Ingredients:
- 300 g red lentils
- 3 small or 4 large shallots
- 5 garlic cloves
- Ginger root
- 300 ml coconut cream
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil (or sunflower or rapeseed oil)
- 2 carrots
- 200 g vegetables (green beans, broccoli, courgette, cauliflower and others)
- 2 to 4 tablespoons red curry paste
- 1.5 teaspoons ground turmeric
- Star anise
- Jasmine rice
Method:
- Cook the rice.
- In a hot pan (ideally a wok), fry the finely chopped shallots.
- Add crushed garlic, curry paste, grated ginger (about 2 cm of the root), finely ground star anise and turmeric. Fry briefly so that all the flavours combine and intensify.
- Add the rinsed red lentils to the pan. Pour in hot water so that there is about 1 cm of water above all the ingredients. Add a pinch of salt. Cook everything, stirring constantly. You may need to top up with hot water again if it boils away.
- When the lentils are almost done, add the roughly chopped vegetables and the coconut cream. Add the hard vegetables first and the soft ones at the end. Cook everything for about 3 minutes and it is ready.
Some might say this is just red lentils with rice. They would be right, but only half right. All the spices, and especially the red curry, give the whole dish that proper Indian kick.
Red lentil soup
For lovers of Indian cuisine we have one more recipe. I hope the longer list of ingredients will not put you off, because the method is very simple.
Ingredients:
- 225 g red lentils
- 150 g onion (ideally red)
- 75 g carrots
- 2 small potatoes
- 150 g celery
- 75 g tomato purée
- 1.5 l water or vegetable stock
- 1.5 vegetable stock cubes
- 75 g ginger root
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- 1.5 tablespoons curry powder
- 3 garlic cloves
- Fresh coriander
Method:
- First, fry the finely chopped onion in a pot until it turns translucent. Then add the crushed garlic, the ginger grated into strips and the curry powder.
- After a while, pour in the tomato purée, and after about 2 minutes add the water (or stock). Season the soup with salt to taste and add the vegetable stock cube.
- Add the chopped carrot, celeriac and potatoes to the pot and cook everything. When the vegetables are almost soft, add the red lentils and simmer briefly once more, about 5 minutes. Then take the pot off the heat and wait until the red lentils soften. When serving, you can sprinkle the soup with fresh coriander.
Finally, one simple recipe, red lentils with egg
This is a very quick recipe. Simply cook the lentils and add eggs to them. The eggs can be cooked any way you like. Do you prefer them fried, soft-boiled or hard-boiled? If you already have some pre-cooked smoked meat, you can add it to the eggs. In these and other recipes, red lentils make a great side dish.
Another simple recipe is red lentils with carrot finely grated, shallot and leek. This dish probably won’t dazzle your guests, but if you don’t feel like standing at the stove for long, it is a good choice.
And remember, all these recipes are only a guide, and you can adapt them to suit yourself. Use the ingredients and vegetables you like best. And what is your best red lentil recipe?
