Real Food Encyclopedia | Lentils

Lentils (Lens culinaris) are increasingly held up as an example of a truly sustainable food and an excellent choice for those seeking to eat more “plant-based” foods.  Also known as pulses (the edible seed of a legume plant), they are a staple around the world, loved for being versatile, nutritious and easy to cook with.

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What to look for when buying lentils

Look for them in the bulk department of your grocery store, or packaged. They should be whole (i.e., not chipped or broken), and free from significant amounts of debris like rocks and dirt (a little bit is normal). 

Lentils come in many different types, varying in size and color. Depending on the variety, when cooked they may keep their shape or fall apart into a natural sort of puree. Some of the most readily available are: 

• Brown: probably the most common, these are fairly large and hold their shape if cooked for a short period of time, but fall apart if cooked for too long. They’re great for soups, purees and dips.
• French green (du Puy): small, green, or in the case of du Puy ones, speckled green and black. French greens hold their shape, even when cooked for a long time. Perfect in soups, braised and in salads. 
• Black (or Beluga): tiny, jet-black in color, they hold their shape very well. They are perfect braised, in soups and in salads.
• Red: come in several different varieties. You might see red lentils labeled “masoor” in Indian markets. They tend to be sweeter than green, brown or black ones, and fall apart when cooked because their hulls have been removed. They’re used in Indian dals (legume-based dishes) and Middle Eastern cuisine and are great pureed or made into dips.

Legumes labeled “yellow lentils” are generally not lentils at all, but rather yellow split peas or chana dal, a variety of split chickpeas.

Sustainability of lentils

Pesticides

Lentil growers employ chemical desiccants (drying agents) to ensure that the plants and the harvested legumes are mature and dry enough for harvest. Herbicides, including glyphosate (aka Roundup) and Reglone are sprayed on the plants to aid in the drying process. Insecticides and other herbicides are also used on conventional lentils to help control pests and weeds. A report from the European Union’s Laboratories for Residues of Pesticides found that even some organically labeled lentils had glyphosate residues above the set Minimal Risk Levels (MRLs); conventionally grown ones had even higher proportions of glyphosate contamination above the MRLs. If you’re concerned about pesticide residues, look for product that is organically grown.

Environmental Impact

The good news about lentils is that they can be grown with limited irrigation, making their water footprint low in many areas. The USDA explains that lentils are also frequently rotated with other cereal crops (like wheat and barley), capitalizing on their nitrogen-fixing properties, which can help to enrich soil without the use of artificial fertilizers. Crop rotation can also help mitigate erosion, reduce disease infestation in cereal crops and help control weeds. 

Seasonality

Lentils are cool-weather loving, low-growing legumes that produce small pods with one or two seeds per pod. According to the US Dry Pea and Lentil Council, lentil production in the U.S. is focused in Idaho, Oregon, Washington State and the Northern Plains states (Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota).

In the U.S., lentil harvest begins in August in most lentil producing areas. However, fresh lentils are not sold, and lentils can be dry stored for up to four years — basically, this means that lentils don’t have a season. However, if you’re lucky enough to live near a lentil producing-region, you might find freshly dried lentils in the late fall or early winter.

Eating lentils

Storing

Lentils can be stored for many years; however, the older they are, the longer they will take to cook (and sometimes they are less flavorful as well). Store them in a cool, dry place.

Cooking

No matter the variety, they need to be washed and picked through before cooking. First, inspect and pick through them for small stones or large clods of dirt. Then, using a fine-meshed colander, rinse them under cool, running water to remove any remaining dust and dirt. Drain well and cook.

Many cultures rely upon lentils for a cheap and delicious source of protein and nutrients, so lucky for us, our options for lentil-based dishes are numerous and varied. Here is David Lebovitz’s ode to lentils du Puy, with a recipe for lentil salad with vinaigrette. Lentil soup is enjoyed from France to Italy to Brazil, where sopa de lentilha is enjoyed for good luck on New Year’s. Lentils are huge in South Asian countries where dal is a staple. Here’s some guidance from Maddhur Jaffrey on how to cook perfect dal. Lentils can also be subbed for dry or canned beans in many recipes. Try replacing lentils for beans in your next batch of chili. The famous lentil-and-rice dish mujaddara, eaten throughout the Middle East, is thought to be the culinary descendant of Esau’s “mess of pottage.”   

Lentils also work well as a meat substitute in dishes like “meat” loaf and burgers. Red lentils make a great curry and are turned into delicious soups in much of the Middle East (check out this Moroccan red lentil soup). You can even bake with lentils: like these chocolate cupcakes with lentils and this recipe for lentil bread. Lentil flour can be baked into crisps and used as a substitute for wheat flour in cookies and other baked goods.

Preserving

Dried lentils keep for a very long time, so preserving them isn’t much of an issue. However, cooked ones freeze beautifully, so next time you make a batch of lentil soup, cook a little extra to have on hand in the freezer.

Nutrition

Lentils are really good for you: loaded with fiber and protein, they are also low in calories. The little legumes are also packed with nutrients, including folate, manganese, iron, thiamin, phosphorus and magnesium. Unfortunately, lentils are deficient in several key amino acids (methionine, cystine, and tryptophan) but if paired with rice or nuts, can provide all of the nutrients you need. 

Top photo by creativefamily/Adobe Stock.