Red Lentil Renaissance

[GeoffF100]

I had previously used red lentils, without any great enthusiasm, but have gained a fresh interest. They are powerful little things:

https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/ ... /nutrients

Just 30g has more protein that half a tin of most beans. (I have not checked them all, but they comfortably beat chickpeas, which beat kidney beans.) They contain lots of other good stuff too, as the table shows, and none of the bad stuff. They are also dirt cheap, whch is important if you live in Yorkshire:

https://groceries.asda.com/product/drie ... 0001794651

£1.15 for 500g. Amazing. They practically pay you to take them away. They are tiny little things. I knew that they were one of the world's great staple foods, but I had no idea what a lentil plant looked like, or how they were harvested. I found out:

https://www.beansandwhatnot.com/how-do-lentils-grow/

Fantastic, but I do not think that I will do it myself. What about cooking them? I had the inspiration of making a soup with tomatoes, garlic, onion and curly kale. I used red onions and added carrots and thin chillies. I made an enormous Ikea bowl of soup. Success! I searched Google with my ingredients and found this:

https://runningonrealfood.com/red-lentil-tomato-soup/

She adds celery and Brussels sprouts. As with most similar recipes, she does not cook the kale. I found it rather challenging raw. Nonetheless, food for thought. Or thought for food.

[UncleEbenezer]

I had previously used red lentils, without any great enthusiasm, but have gained a fresh interest. They are powerful little things:

Agree. And to appreciate how delicious they can be, just think of that dhal on more-or-less any indian-style menu On a similar principle, they go into many of my soups and curries.

Just 30g has more protein that half a tin of most beans. (I have not checked them all, but they comfortably beat chickpeas, which beat kidney beans.) They contain lots of other good stuff too, as the table shows, and none of the bad stuff. They are also dirt cheap, whch is important if you live in Yorkshire:

They were also a huge staple of my diet when I was in real poverty and on one meal a day. One bag of those bulked out by value-line pasta provides a week's worth of basic sustenance.

Fantastic, but I do not think that I will do it myself. What about cooking them? I had the inspiration of making a soup with tomatoes, garlic, onion and curly kale. I used red onions and added carrots and thin chillies. I made an enormous Ikea bowl of soup. Success! I searched Google with my ingredients and found this:

Hmmm, yes, I can see that working quite nicely, though the role of Ikea eludes me. Do you favour hours in the slow cooker, or minutes in the pressure cooker, or something between that on the regular hob - or just take whichever best fits the occasion and immediate needs?

https://runningonrealfood.com/red-lentil-tomato-soup/

She adds celery and Brussels sprouts. As with most similar recipes, she does not cook the kale. I found it rather challenging raw. Nonetheless, food for thought. Or thought for food.

Celery is strange: I don't much care for it raw or in its 'classic' use for dips, but it can do great things with a soup's flavour, and occasionally features in a sauce for pasta. I think I first learned that in the context of tomato-and-basil soup, which is much enriched by carrot and celery.

[Midsmartin]

I can highly recommend a red lentil and butternut squash soup. Fry up an onion, add water or stock and main ingredients and cook until done. Add salt and pepper to taste, and a lump of butter does wonders. Whizz up until it reaches a nice thick soupy consistency.

We also make this very simple dahl recipe reasonably often:

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/user/9109/r ... entil-dahl

Except I much prefer it without the lemon juice they recommend, and I use less coconut milk.

[GeoffF100]

Hmmm, yes, I can see that working quite nicely, though the role of Ikea eludes me. Do you favour hours in the slow cooker, or minutes in the pressure cooker, or something between that on the regular hob - or just take whichever best fits the occasion and immediate needs?

A monstrous quantity of soup requires a monster bowl. Curly kale takes up a huge amount of space, but it does shrink down when it cooks. Ordinary soup bowls are useless for me. I think my oatmeal coloured Ikea bowl is a pasta dish. It is the right size for me. Moving it when it is full of boiling soup is tricky though. I eat my breakfast out of a big Pyrex pudding basin by the way (160g oats + half a tin of chick peas + ...)

I am still perfecting the technique, but I am cooking on the hob. Cooking food and storing it is not really practicable for me. I eat my own body weight every three weeks, and I have only a standard sized fridge and freezer. BMI = 20, by the way.

[6Tricia]

I'm a big fan of lentils too and often use ready cooked puy lentils in the mix of stuffing for aubergines and squashes instead of rice. I also use red, yellow or brown lentils in soups. This is where my trusty pressure cooker really proves its worth - pulses in general cook in less than half the time. A handful added to whatever veggies I happen to have available together with a stock cube and spices makes a nourishing meal and there is usually enough left to freeze a portion or two for when I feel too tired or too lazy to cook!

Tricia

[UncleEbenezer]

Thought of this thread last night when I took a pot-luck (i.e. unlabelled) soup from the freezer, and the red lentils were a prominent taste in it (as were carrots and ginger). Went nicely with some noodles, grated cheese, and a wee dram.

Hmmm, yes, I can see that working quite nicely, though the role of Ikea eludes me. Do you favour hours in the slow cooker, or minutes in the pressure cooker, or something between that on the regular hob - or just take whichever best fits the occasion and immediate needs?

A monstrous quantity of soup requires a monster bowl. Curly kale takes up a huge amount of space, but it does shrink down when it cooks. Ordinary soup bowls are useless for me. I think my oatmeal coloured Ikea bowl is a pasta dish. It is the right size for me. Moving it when it is full of boiling soup is tricky though. I eat my breakfast out of a big Pyrex pudding basin by the way (160g oats + half a tin of chick peas + ...)

What's a monstrous quantity? When I brew up soup I'll use a big cauldron that provides several portions, and freeze some of them. A portion (for these purposes) is 600ml, being the size of supermarket soup portions from which I re-use the plastic containers.

I am still perfecting the technique, but I am cooking on the hob. Cooking food and storing it is not really practicable for me. I eat my own body weight every three weeks, and I have only a standard sized fridge and freezer. BMI = 20, by the way.

Hob is good if you have a good (big) pan, though BMI 20 is, erm, disgraceful! The time I wouldn't use the hob is when I want a hot meal waiting for me when I come home after an evening out: that's where the slow cooker really wins!

[GeoffF100]

What's a monstrous quantity? When I brew up soup I'll use a big cauldron that provides several portions, and freeze some of them. A portion (for these purposes) is 600ml, being the size of supermarket soup portions from which I re-use the plastic containers.

I have just measured my Ikea bowl. It holds about 900 ml, so perhaps only 50% more than your portions. That much soup crammed full with vegetables takes some eating though.

I looked in the Asian section in my local Asda. They have 2 Kg of red lentils for £2.50. That is seriously cheap. They also have Besan at the same price. Here is an interesting recipe:

https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/missi-roti-recipe/

That is another highly nutritious and very cheap recipe idea.

[UncleEbenezer]

What's a monstrous quantity? When I brew up soup I'll use a big cauldron that provides several portions, and freeze some of them. A portion (for these purposes) is 600ml, being the size of supermarket soup portions from which I re-use the plastic containers.

I have just measured my Ikea bowl. It holds about 900 ml, so perhaps only 50% more than your portions. That much soup crammed full with vegetables takes some eating though.

Sounds smallish. I use these when I make a main course of a soup. That's typically a 600ml portion plus pasta base and something on top.

I looked in the Asian section in my local Asda. They have 2 Kg of red lentils for £2.50. That is seriously cheap. They also have Besan at the same price. Here is an interesting recipe:

https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/missi-roti-recipe/

That is another highly nutritious and very cheap recipe idea.

Besan? Must check that out!

[BullDog]

Highly recommend that if you make a lasagne, instead of using minced beef, substitute red lentils. Lasagne is one of my favourite meals and I can honestly say that I enjoy it made with red lentils every bit as much as I do made with beef. Try it!

[GeoffF100]

Sounds smallish. I use these when I make a main course of a soup. That's typically a 600ml portion plus pasta base and something on top

Mine appears to be a FÄRGKLAR:

https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/faergklar- ... 5/#content

23 cm as opposed to your 22 cm, so it may be a little larger than yours, and is certainly a lot cheaper. It has been very durable too. Pasta has to be served as a separate course. I could not possibly get that in the bowl with the soup. Fruit and nuts are yet another course.

[GeoffF100]

I am still cooking my red lentil, kale and vegetable soup, and very good it is too. I was talking to a young lady from Saskatchewan, and mentioned that Canada was the world's largest producer of lentils. She did not know that, and wondered whether they were grown in Saskatchewan. 95% of Canada's production it seems. Here is great video, by the way:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afBPBl7TJpM

The more I learn about lentils, the more I am impressed. Canada grows many different varieties, but mostly the green and red ones:

https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/ ... al%20crops.

I wondered about broth mix. I found this:

https://thepeskyvegan.com/recipes/vegan-scotch-broth/

That would be loaded with sodium, and would not do your blood pressure much good. Nonetheless, more food for thought.

[ReformedCharacter]

I am still cooking my red lentil, kale and vegetable soup, and very good it is too. I was talking to a young lady from Saskatchewan, and mentioned that Canada was the world's largest producer of lentils. She did not know that, and wondered whether they were grown in Saskatchewan. 95% of Canada's production it seems. Here is great video, by the way:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afBPBl7TJpM

The more I learn about lentils, the more I am impressed. Canada grows many different varieties, but mostly the green and red ones:

https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/ ... al%20crops.

I wondered about broth mix. I found this:

https://thepeskyvegan.com/recipes/vegan-scotch-broth/

That would be loaded with sodium, and would not do your blood pressure much good. Nonetheless, more food for thought.

I'd seen the video in your first link and was pleased and impresssed by it. An example of large scale farming that is sustainable as well as productive. Lentils are a crop that we should be making the most of, they're good for you and require relatively low inputs in terms of water, fertililser and pest control compared with other food sources such as grains. One of the more sustainable and environmentally friendly crops to feed the human population.

RC

[GrahamPlatt]

Red lentils (well, all lentils), love ‘em. Especially in Dahl. But I never hear much about this though:
https://www.theguardian.com/environment ... indigenous

[GeoffF100]

I'd seen the video in your first link and was pleased and impresssed by it. An example of large scale farming that is sustainable as well as productive. Lentils are a crop that we should be making the most of, they're good for you and require relatively low inputs in terms of water, fertililser and pest control compared with other food sources such as grains. One of the more sustainable and environmentally friendly crops to feed the human population.

Lentils fix nitrogen, and reduce the amount of fertiliser needed to grow wheat and other crops. Growing them in rotation helps control pests. The top soil is only six inches deep on that farm. Lentils are shallow rooted, and will grow there. They are also easily grown on stubble without tilling, which would destroy the thin top soil. The combine harvester, extracts the seeds, chops up what remains and spreads it as fertiliser. Lentils require so little water that they can survive the summer without any rain. To cap it all, they are incredibly nutritious and ridiculously cheap.

Chickpeas are a similar plant. Here is a recipe that inspired me:

https://www.powerhungry.com/2014/04/chi ... r-oatmeal/

"One warning: eating this oatmeal will make you feel smug."

I liquidise half a tin of chickpeas. Add them to 140g of oats, with 20g of ground brown linseed, a pinch of ground cloves and a Brazil nut. I mix it all up with 180 ml of water and 125 ml of apple juice. I then add some frozen berries and leave it to soak overnight in the fridge.

I tried every sort of white bean in that recipe, but nothing compares with chickpeas. Soya milk does not agree with me, but the chickpeas are better. They add real body, which no other bean seems to do.

[GeoffF100]

I should add that I use about 68 ml of water the liquidise the chickpeas, so it is about two parts water to one part apple juice.

[redsturgeon]

This is my go to red lentil dhal.

https://veggiedesserts.com/red-lentil-dahl/


I buy a five kilo bag of the dried red lentils...so cheap and delicious.


JOHN

[Mike4]

This is my go to red lentil dhal.

https://veggiedesserts.com/red-lentil-dahl/


I buy a five kilo bag of the dried red lentils...so cheap and delicious.


JOHN

Looks and sounds delicious!

One thing in the recipe troubles me though. What exactly IS "vegetable stock/broth"? It sounds like it needs making separately with a whole recipe of its own.

[redsturgeon]

I usually don't bother with that just use water. It's tasty enough without but you can use a veggie stock cube if you wish.

John

[Imbiber]

Or Marigold Swiss Bouillon, a low salt version is available if that's your thing.

[jackdaww]

.

lentils, chick peas , beans , peas etc contain both protein and carbohydrate .

some people cant tolerate this combination and need to eat them separately.

ref HAY diet i think .

but they are gluten free .