🫘 Cooked lentils
Cooked lentils are brown or green lentils simmered in water with onion, salt and cumin until soft but still holding their shape. They have an earthy, gently nutty flavour and a soft texture. Served warm as a side dish, they go well with rice, grilled meat or vegetables, and also work cold in salads.
Diets
Allergens
None of the 14 major allergens in a typical recipe.
What it is made of
Recipe
Ingredients
- 250 g brown or green lentils
- 1 litre water
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 bay leaf (optional)
Method
- Rinse the lentils and pick out any small stones.
- Put the lentils, onion, cumin, bay leaf and water in a pot and bring to the boil.
- Simmer for 20–25 minutes until the lentils are tender but not falling apart, adding salt near the end.
- Drain any excess liquid and serve warm or cold.
How to make it lighter
- Lentils are filling on their own — add vegetables rather than oil for more volume.
- If you finish them with oil, measure it: 1 tbsp is about 120 kcal.
- Pair with salad and a squeeze of lemon instead of a large portion of rice.
History
Lentils are one of the oldest cultivated crops and are cooked daily across the Middle East, the Mediterranean and South Asia.
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Values are estimates per 100 g for a typical recipe; home and restaurant versions vary. Diets and allergens are worked out from the ingredients of a typical recipe — always check with whoever cooked the dish. Not medical advice. Nutrition data: Me Nutrition dish database v13. How we count →