Cooking advice
Red lentils: a quick route to a hearty meal
Red lentils soften and break down as they cook. That makes them ideal for thick sauces and soups, especially when you only have an onion, tinned tomatoes and a few spices.
What you need: 150 g red lentils, 1 onion, 400 g tomatoes, about 350 ml water or stock, spices.
How to do it
- Rinse lentils in a sieve until the water runs relatively clear.
- Soften chopped onion in a little oil, add garlic and spices and stir briefly.
- Add lentils, tomatoes and liquid. Simmer gently for 12–18 minutes, stirring and adding water if needed.
- Add oregano for pasta sauce, ginger and curry spices for a curry, or extra stock for soup. Finish with lemon.
Common mistake
If you want individual lentils to stay firm, choose green or black lentils instead.
Quick tip
Make a double batch of the base: use it as pasta sauce today and loosen it into soup tomorrow.