Vegan Cooking with Beverly Lynn Bennett

Beverly Lynn Bennett is a vegan chef who recently completed her first electronic vegan cookbook, Eat Your Veggies. She's been working in the restaurant industry since she was 12. Please visit VeganChef.com to get some great vegan recipes and to learn more about her.

Question:

How do you cook raw lentils?

Answer:

I'll assume that you mean "dry" lentils as opposed to raw lentils straight from the vine, since most people generally don't have access to them unless they grow their own. Simply sort through the package or the desired amount of dry lentils to remove any debris, bits of dry dirt, or stones that may be in the package. You can do this on a plate or in a colander. Place the lentils in a colander and rinse them well with cold water. Lentils cook rather quickly so they don't need to presoak before cooking; just drain and rinse them and then continue as directed. Transfer the lentils to a medium size pot. Add up to three times the amount of water as you have lentils, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 25-35 minutes or until tender. You can also add a bay leaf, or piece of kombu, or herbs and spices to the lentils as they cook, if desired. Never add salt to the lentils (or other beans) while cooking as this will make them toughen up and lengthen their cooking time. Instead, season them to taste with salt and pepper once they are tender. If you don't need the cooking liquid for use in the recipe, save it for use in cooking grains, pasta, soups, and sauces.

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