How to cook green lentils

[lucy123]

HI

I bought some green lentils from the well known health shop at the weekend. I think they were green , they were called lentils Verte???

It said to cook them for 20 mins which I did but they did seem rather hard. i have only ever used red lentils before and they didn't seem like these at all (more like little balls). I was just wondering if I did anything wrong or are they supposed to be quite firm and chewy!😱

 

[macast]

hi Lucy.... they don't cook like red lentils (which go a bit mushy)... the green ones stay firm. they are great used instead of mince in any recipes.... veggie folk use them a lot. I like them in a bolognese sauce 😛 but they do well in a shepherd's pie or even a chilli. I've also cooked them and then placed a nice piece of poached salmon on top for a very healthy meal

 

[Copepod]

Texture is a matter of personal taste, really. If 20 mins cooking isn't enough, perhaps worth soaking overnight before cooking.

 

[lucy123]

Thanks Macast and Copepod!
I was worrying I was poisoning the husband.

I had them with strips of pork, cooked with onion and garlic, mustard, red wine vinegar and stock - was delicious!

 

[macast]

Thanks Macast and Copepod!
I was worrying I was poisoning the husband.

I had them with strips of pork, cooked with onion and garlic, mustard, red wine vinegar and stock - was delicious!

oooh that sounds delicious 😛 you posting the recipe???

 

[AlisonM]

I usually soak them for an hour or so first, then cook them. They're still quite firm, but not as hard as they might be without soaking.

That recipe sounds delicious Lucy, I'm going to try that.

 

[Copepod]

Thanks Macast and Copepod!
I was worrying I was poisoning the husband.

I had them with strips of pork, cooked with onion and garlic, mustard, red wine vinegar and stock - was delicious!

You're probably thinking of red kidney beans which must be boiled to reduce levels of phytohemagglutinin at some time duriung preparation. Tinned beans have been boiled before canning.

 

[lucy123]

You're probably thinking of red kidney beans which must be boiled to reduce levels of phytohemagglutinin at some time duriung preparation. Tinned beans have been boiled before canning.

So pleased you added that last sentence Copepod as I often have cold tinned kidney beans in a salad!

 

[Northerner]

You're probably thinking of red kidney beans which must be boiled to reduce levels of phytohemagglutinin at some time duriung preparation. Tinned beans have been boiled before canning.

I remember going to a party when I was at Uni and someone had cooked a huge pan of chilli con carne. I didn't have any, but lots of people got really ill because they hadn't boiled the kidney beans first. Always remembered it! I think it is a piece of information that a lot of people are unaware of though, and if you look at the packets of dried KBs the warning is often in tiny text - it ought to be in big red letters! 😱