Just at the thought of a fragrant lentil stew, we get the urge to run to the kitchen and place the pot on the stove. Lentil dishes are especially popular all around the world because the plant has been widespread and known to mankind since prehistoric times.
Nowadays, the largest producers of lentils are Canada, Pakistan, Turkey and India, which determines the different varieties of lentils available in stores.
Lentil varieties vary in grain size, density, cooking time, etc. and that's why an unambiguous answer, to the question if lentils should be soaked, cannot be given.
Many people that are all about healthy eating are adamant that they should be soaked, like other members of the legume family and we lean towards agreeing with them. But here we will open a bracket and emphasize that it is not necessary to soak all types of lentils.
Brown lentils are one of those varieties for which pre-soaking is recommended. Unlike beans, brown lentils do not need hours in water. 1 hour is completely enough and then the lentils needs to be strained and boiled until they're fully cooked. Lentils are usually cooked within 10-15 minutes.
It is good to pre-soak the French green lentils, black lentils and yellow lentils, which are not very tasty, but also rich in fiber.
The only lentils, that certainly do not need soaking are red lentils. This is because red lentils get their outer skin removed in advance and their grains are halved.
Оnce you know whether to soak the lentils, we recommend that you prepare delicious lentil soup, oven-baked lentils or why not lentil patties.
