How would I cook lentils like this?

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GB

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I have a recipe for a soup that has me chop up all the veggie, cook everything until tender, then puree it. The last time I made this soup I decided that lentils would be an interesting addition. I have two questions.

1. How long do lentils need to cook. The soup simmers for about 30 minutes. That should be long enough for the lentils right?

2. How would I cook the lentils in the soup, but then be able to remove then so they do not puree with the rest of the ingredients? I was thinking of tying them up in cheese cloth and dropping them into the soup. Would that work? Would I be better off cooking them on their own somehow? Any other ideas?
 
Cook the other veggies to soften them, add the liquid and puree. then add the lentils and cook for the required time. Depending on the type of lentils, it may take more than 30 minutes.
 
GB I was assuming that you were doing a sweat with aromatics. Are youi talking about cooking veggies in the liquid as part of the soup?
 
1. It depends on the type of lentils you are using. The yellow and orange versions which I most often use, cook very quickly, in about 15 minutes. The green version (puy) takes longer, anywhere between 30-45 minutes. It also depends on how you like the lentils, we prefer them sort of al dente, with a little body, so the cooking time we use is usually shorter. Many people like their lentils very soft, almost to the mush, then, naturally, needs to be cooked more. You need to sort of taste and determine the prefered consistency.

2. Do you have something like pasta cooking pot? It is double layered, the top compartment has the holes, so when you lift it (and the pasta inside), it drains the water. If you have something like that, maybe you can put everything else on the bottom compartment and then put the lentils in the top (inside) compartment. Also a pressure cooker has a similar feature, with a separate basket.
 
Andy, yes the veggies cook in the liquid. Basically I sweat the veggies for a few minutes, then add the liquid and cook for another 30 minutes or so, then puree.

The lentils are French lentils. They are small, brown (or maybe green, darn colorblindness), and hold their shape when cooked.
 
urmaniac13 said:
Do you have something like pasta cooking pot? Also a pressure cooker has a similar feature, with a separate basket.
Both great suggestions. Unfortunately I do not have either, although a pressure cooker is on my wish list (DW are you reading this :)).

The closest I have is a metal strainer, but I do not think it will fit well enough in my pot to use this way.
 
Yes, I am pretty sure your lentils are "Puy". 30 minutes may be enough but if you like it softer (this type of lentils tend to remain "al dente") you may want a little extra cooking time, or presoak the lentils with a bit of baking soda for a couple of hours.

Yeah, metal strainer may work too, do you think you can adjust the shape, or get a different sized one, I am sure it would be much cheaper than getting a pressure cooker for a quick solution! (but I really recommend a purchase of a pressure cooker sooner or later, very, very useful once you get the hang of its usage!!)
 
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GB said:
Andy, yes the veggies cook in the liquid. Basically I sweat the veggies for a few minutes, then add the liquid and cook for another 30 minutes or so, then puree.

The lentils are French lentils. They are small, brown (or maybe green, darn colorblindness), and hold their shape when cooked.
GB, I find that the Puy lentils like abour 45 minutes of simmering. :)

What time is dinner? I"ll bring the bread!:LOL:
 
Yes I believe you are right about them being Puy and al dente would work well for me with this type of lentil.

No the strainer is a solid one, not a collapsible one so there is no way I will be able to use it. My collapsible just recently broke otherwise that would have been a good solution.
 
Dinner starts when you arrive ChefJune :)...Well after a glass or two of wine first of course.
 
GB:

Since you are pureeing the veggies, you don't have to worry about overcooking. Cook the veggies until soft, puree and add the lentils and cook them. It will take longer that way but it may be the easiest if you have the time.
 
Thanks Andy. That was my backup thought process. The only problem with it, as you pointed out, is the additional time it will take. If I make this on the weekend then that is not an issue, but if I am making it on a work night then it would take too long. DW and I could hold out, but Rachel would be yelling Shoop Shoop Shoop for way too long :LOL:
 
I like And's idea best. Other than cooking the lentils in separate broth, it's goin gto get the best results. Red lentils can be pureed, but the others don't take as well to it.
 
If you chop the veggies very finely they will cook faster. They don't have to be completely cooked through for you to puree them.
 
Good point Andy. It is the potatoes that will take the longest to cook, but I can chop those down quite a bit to get it to cook faster. The other veggies are actually quick cooking things like leeks and celery.
 
Hey GB, since this is all fairly experimental anyway may I make a weird suggestion? Why don't you toss the lentils into a casserole dish with some broth and throw them in the microwave while you are prepping the other veggies? That would be like, what 15 minutes or so? Maybe 20? If you covered them with enough broth and let them go in there for that long then tossed them in with the soup I bet they would be just right when you want to eat.
 
I like that idea a lot Alix! I never even considered the microwave, but I think this could be a perfect use for it!
 
Update

I made the soup yesterday. I used the microwave to do the lentils. Before I started prepping the veggies I put the lentils in a dish covered with stock and nuked them for 15 minutes to start. While those were going I started the rest of my prep work. 15 minutes was not nearly enough so I added another 10. That did not do it either. I did not keep track of how much time they spent in the mic, but I am guessing it was around 40 minutes in the end. They were done a little while before the soup was done which was great. I would call this method a success! Thanks for all the suggestions.
 

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