Spend Way Less Time Cooking Lentils With An Easy Method Switch

Lentils are hearty, satisfying, and nutritious, but if you've ever tried to cook them on the stovetop, you know it's a time-consuming job. Depending on which of the seven types of lentils you choose, you may need to soak them for a few hours and then spend another 30 to 45 minutes boiling them on the stove. But thanks to the invention of the Instant Pot, you can cut prep time down to 15 minutes or less.

Note that this method isn't suited to every type of lentil. While green and brown ones can stand up to the high-pressure environment of this tool, think twice before cooking yellow and red lentils in your Instant Pot. Because the brighter-colored varieties are already split when they're sold, they tend to lose their form and turn to mush when they're cooked this way. However, the green and brown ones will end up perfectly tender in half the time they'd take on the stove: Just six to eight minutes at high pressure for brown ones or eight to 10 for green ones.

To cook in the Instant Pot, start by sauteing your herbs, spices, and aromatics in oil. Then, add the water and lentils in a 2:1 ratio. Cook at high pressure for the recommended time, releasing the pressure to check their consistency. In just a matter of minutes, they'll be done, ready to star in any of our 17 lentil recipes. Best of all, this method means you can use lentils in a last-minute meal instead of starting hours before.

One of the big time savers here is that this tool cooks so quickly and thoroughly that you can skip the step of soaking the lentils ahead of time. However, if you have time, there are a couple of reasons you might want to pre-soak them anyway. First, it helps remove the phytic acid that can make their nutrients more difficult for your body to absorb. And secondly, it breaks down their complex carbs ahead of time, making them easier to digest and less likely to cause bloating or gas. It's a personal preference, but either way, the Instant Pot can make the cooking process much, much faster.