I want lentils for a cold salad with vegetables and vinaigrette, not a pot of soup. My last batch turned soft enough to collapse when I stirred it. I used ordinary brown lentils and boiled them vigorously while cooking other things. Is the biggest difference choosing firmer varieties, simmering gently and tasting early? I'd love a reliable method where they stay tender but distinct.
Cooking lentils so they hold shape for salads instead of becoming soup
- practical-cooking
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- lentils
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3 replies
Brown lentils can work, but they need less agitation than soup lentils. Simmer gently, salt near the end if you want them to hold up, and st...
Brown lentils can work, but they need less agitation than soup lentils. Simmer gently, salt near the end if you want them to hold up, and start tasting early because they go from firm to soft fast.
I’d rinse them and cook them in plenty of water, then drain when they're just tender. Letting them boil hard is what usually breaks them apart.
Puy lentils are my go-to for salad because they behave better, but you can still do it with brown ones if you watch them closely. The pot needs a calmer mood than the cook.
The pot needs a calmer mood than the cook is a good line for my kitchen, honestly.
1 reply
Yes on gentler cooking, and don't dress them while they're still falling apart. Cool them first, then add the vinaigrette so they stay separ...
Yes on gentler cooking, and don't dress them while they're still falling apart. Cool them first, then add the vinaigrette so they stay separate.
I also stop at just barely tender and spread them out to cool. If they sit in a deep pile, the carryover heat keeps softening them.