Red Lentil Soup | Instant Pot + Stove Top Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How much water do I need for 1 cup of red lentils? ›

Cook on a stovetop, using 3 cups of liquid (water, stock, etc) to 1 cup of dry lentils. Be sure to use a large enough saucepan as the lentils will double or triple in size. Bring to a boil, cover tightly, reduce heat and simmer until they are tender.

The other good news: Lentils don't need to soak as beans do (though you do need to sort and rinse them before cooking). Different types of lentils cook in different amounts of time. Red lentils are the fastest cooking and they dissolve as they cook and make for a smooth soup.

How to prepare lentils. Lentils do not require it but can be soaked in order to reduce cooking time by about half. Before cooking, rinse lentils in cold water, pick over to remove debris or shrivelled lentils, then drain.

You can also use flour or cornflour to thicken a soup. Put a tablespoon of either into a small bowl and stir in 2-3 tbsp of the soup until you have a smooth mixture. Stir this back into the soup and bring it to a simmer.

Red Lentil to Water Ratio

To cook red lentils so that they retain some of their shape but are still cooked through, use 2 cups water to 1 cup lentils. To cook red lentils so that they break down into a puree, use 3 cups water to 1 cup lentils.

When cooking red lentils in an Instant Pot or boiling lentils on a stovetop, combine 1 cup lentils with 2 cups water (Instant Pot) or 3 cups water (stove top). Or, just make sure there is about 2 to 3 inches of water above the lentils.

Yes, you can overcook lentils; they will become mushy. Much depends on the type of lentil you're using. Some cook quicker and hold their shape better than others. To avoid overcooking them, always follow the cooking directions in your recipe and use the type of lentils called for in the ingredient list.

Do red lentils need to be soaked before cooking? No, there is no need to soak red lentils before cooking but it is a good idea to give them a quick rinse.

Rinsing lentils will allow you to get rid of any accumulated dust, dirt, small rocks, twigs and possibly bugs that have come along for the ride: you don't want any of that in your food! None of this will hurt you however.

Around 15 minutes will start to turn them into a puree, 25 minutes you'll have mush. Cook them for around 10-15 minutes if you want to use them in a salad, you want a tender but firm texture and for them to still hold their shape. The easiest way is to check on your lentils as you cook them.

How do you know when lentils are done? ›

Lentils are cooked as soon as they are tender and no longer crunchy. Older lentils may take longer to cook and shed their outer skins as they cook. Strain the lentils and remove the bay leaf, if used. Return the lentils to the pan and stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt.

You can also add salt, aromatics like a halved onion, herbs, and spices to the pot before the lentils and the water, like beans, or wait until they're done cooking to flavor them.

You can add some cornflour mixed in little water and let it boil with your soup till get nice thick consistency. And if you are a health conscious fellow then go for cooked oats. As I do, cook some oats along with lentils and then puree it to make soup. This will not only thicken your soup but add some more health too.

Make sure to not overcook the lentils, or else they will become extremely mushy. That will not affect the taste of this yummy soup, but the mushy lentils thicken the soup and give it a different, less pleasant consistency.

Cook It Longer

Sometimes soup just needs to simmer longer to reach the perfect consistency. Check to see if the vegetables are tender, and then taste the broth. If the soup tastes a bit watery, give it more time.

As a general rule, one cup of dried lentils yields two to two-and-a-half cups of cooked lentils.

Note that 1 pound (16 ounces) of dry lentils yields about 6 cups cooked (and ½ cup dry is about 1 cup cooked). In general, use 2½ to 3 cups of water for every cup of lentils. Remember, no soaking is required for cooking lentils and to keep an eye out for any debris to remove from your lentils.

Upon planting, water well without making the soil soggy. Give plants about 1 inch of water per week. At least 10 inches of annual rainfall is needed. If weather conditions become especially dry, lentil plants are drought tolerant.

1 cup dry lentils = about 2 ½ cups cooked lentils. Lentils increase in volume about 2 ½ times when cooked. How much is 1 serving of lentils? Plan for about 1 to 1 ½ cups of cooked lentils per serving.