Lentils: What They Are and What to Do with Them

Our test cooks spent hundreds of hours researching and cooking lentils for The Complete Beans and Grains Cookbook. Here’s everything you need to know about them, from the different types to when we recommend brining before cooking.

Lentils, botanically named Lens culinaris, are a member of the legume family (alongside pulses, which are legumes harvested primarily for dried seeds, including lentils; kidney, pinto, and navy beans; peas; and chickpeas).

Lentils may be sold with or without their thin seed coat and either whole or split in half. The differences in flavor and texture among the various types of lentils are surprisingly distinct.

Because lentils are smaller and cook faster, they are the perfect invitation to start cooking dried beans. Easy to find, inexpensive, and packed with nutrients, lentils are an ideal pantry staple; they are also one of the most versatile. We use them for soups and stews; in salads and rice pilaf; and in classic pairings with proteins such as salmon, chicken, and sausages.

There are 12 different types of lentils, varying in color from yellow to red-orange, green, brown, and black. The most commonly grown varieties are large brown lentils, small green lentilles du Puy, and petite red lentils.

Brown (or Green) Lentils

About

Brown lentils are flat, large lentils that might be considered the “everyday” lentil found in every supermarket. They are sometimes also called “green lentils” because their color borders on green-brown, but are not the same as lentilles du Puy, or French green lentils. These are all-purpose lentils, great in soups and salads or tossed with olive oil and herbs. Brown lentils hold their shape relatively well, but will break down with extended cooking. Both dried and canned brown lentils are available at grocery stores.

Tasting Notes

Mild yet light and earthy flavor and creamy texture

Recipes That Use Them

Rice and Lentils with Crispy Onions (Mujaddara), Lentil Salad with Olives, Mint, and Feta, Moroccan Lentil and Chickpea Soup (Harira)

Red Lentils

About

Red lentils are most commonly sold “split,” meaning their seed coat has been removed and the inner part of the lentil has been split in half. In fact, most “red” lentils were originally brown/tan-skinned lentils; removing their seed coat reveals their inner red-orange color. Red lentils cook more quickly than whole lentils and break down completely as well, making them ideal for soups, dals, purees, and mashes, or anywhere you want a thick puree.

Tasting Notes

Delicate, earthy, nutty, slightly sweet flavor with floral notes

Recipes That Use Them

Red Lentil Kibbeh, Palak Dal (Spinach Dal with Cumin and Mustard Seeds), Red Lentil Tacos

Lentilles du Puy

About

Lentilles du Puy are a variety of green lentil that are smaller and rounder than the larger, flatter brown/green lentils and have dark speckles. Lentilles du Puy (or du Puy lentils) are only grown in the Puy region of France, whose volcanic soil is said to affect the flavor of the lentils grown in this region giving them more mineral-y and peppery notes. Interchangeable with French green lentils, lentilles du Puy have a thicker skin than regular green lentils, which means they hold their shape really well when cooked. They are great for salads, simmered with mirepoix and stock as a side dish, or in any dish where you want a firm yet tender lentil that can take center stage. Lentilles du Puy are available at well-stocked grocery stores or online.

Tasting Notes

Mineral-y and peppery, with a firm texture

Recipes That Use Them

Saumon Aux Lentilles (Pan-Seared Salmon with Braised Lentilles Du Puy), Thai Red Curry with Lentils and Tofu, Lentilles du Puy with Spinach and Crème Fraîche

Although we like tiny, firm French lentilles du Puy and vibrant, tender red lentils, we most often reach for brown or green lentils, which are similar enough in flavor and texture to be used interchangeably in recipes.

The variation in texture of lentils is considerable, ranging from earthy brown and green lentils that hold their shape when cooked, to others, such as red lentils and split green lentils, that break down and get mushy by design. The firmer lentils should be perfectly intact without being crunchy and have tender, creamy interiors. They should be cooked gently in seasoned water or broth.

Although they are available canned, lentils are by far more commonly found dried. Dried lentils are fairly easy to cook; they can be boiled, stewed, braised in the oven, or prepared in a pressure cooker or slow cooker. We even shallow-fry them for Crispy Lentil and Herb Salad to give them a crisp-crunchy texture. Crispy fried lentils make an excellent snack or a crunchy topping for hummus and other dips, soup, or a grain bowl.

Because of their small size and relatively high surface area-to-volume ratio, and their thin seed coat, lentils absorb water very rapidly and cook in much less time than other legumes. But, like other dried beans, their skins can still blow out during cooking. 

To counter these blow-outs, we like to brine some types of lentils. The salt in the brine helps weaken the pectin in the skins, allowing the lentils to stay intact, and not become mushy, during cooking. (It also seasons them.)

When to Brine Lentils: Brine lentils if you want them to keep their shape during cooking.

When Not to Brine Lentils: Don’t brine split lentils since there’s no seed coat. And don’t brine lentils in recipes where it is desirable for them to break down during cooking.