A quick and easy recipe for homemade lentils in the pressure cooker! Using this water to lentil ratio and cook time makes for the best, tender lentils in your Instant Pot. Homemade Pressure Cooker Lentils, saving you time and money!
Confession from your friendly dietitian here. Normally I buy store bought cooked lentils. That’s right. I said it. Can you believe it? If you’ve been around the blog in this last year you’ll know I’ve been working on my master’s degree and any and all short-cuts are welcomed. However, today at my local grocery store the cooked lentils were out of stock and weren’t expected in for at least two more weeks! I already perfected my pressure cooker chickpeas, so now is the time to perfect my Pressure Cooker Lentils.
Lentils are SUPER healthy and always a great addition to your meals. As I tell my patients, any and every time you’re able to add lentils to your menu, do so! Lentils are technically pulses – the dry, edible seeds of plants in the legume family, which includes chickpeas, beans, and split peas. Naturally high in protein and fiber, they’re a great plant protein to add to your menu. If you’re looking to add lentils this is a great starter recipe. And if you just want a soup, I’ve got you covered there too – Lentil Soup – perfected during quarantine. In the coming weeks I’ll show you my favorite quick and simple Lentil Salad! So stay tuned!
Ingredients: Pressure Cooker Lentils
- Lentils: Green lentils, brown lentils, and black lentils will all cook in this method in a pressure cooker. They will be tender, but firm. Red lentils on the other hand will become mushy in the pressure cooker. Haven’t tested the time for cooking red lentils, but I did test multiple times for the green and brown.
- Liquid: water or low-sodium broth works.
- Salt/Pepper: The salt is optional, I used just 1/4 teaspoon. Black pepper can be added as well, 1/2 teaspoon, however, I left this without any other spices so I could use them for other dishes.
- Other seasonings: bay leaves, cumin, thyme, etc., it really depends on what flavor you’re going for. Or opt for no flavor and season in your other dishes that you’ll make!
How To Cook Pressure Cooker Lentils
- Add lentils, liquid, and seasoning, if using, to the pressure cooker. Stir to mix altogether.
- Next place the lid on the pressure cooker and set to seal.
- Cook on high pressure for 5 minutes. (cook times will vary, 5 minutes gives you al dente lentils. 6-8 will be more tender, however, I do caution you that any longer and they will be mush. Best option is to start with just 5 minutes and add on time if needed. This way you can see which amount of time works best for you. It will require the pressure cooker to heat up again, but rather than waste your lentils, start with less time and add on. 5 minutes was the perfect time for me and let’s just tested the extra cook times so you don’t have to waste any lentils!
- Release – after the 5 minutes cook time, do a quick release by turning the sealing valve to release the pressure.
- Remove the lid and place on a sheet pan to help dry out/cool down your lentils (and prevent them from sticking altogether).
Other Bean/Pulse Dishes
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Pressure Cooker Lentils
A quick and easy recipe for homemade lentils in the pressure cooker! Using this water to lentil ratio and cook time makes for the best, tender lentils in your Instant Pot. Homemade Pressure Cooker Lentils, saving you time and money!
- Total Time: 25
- Yield: 5 1x
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry lentils
- 1 3/4 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Add lentils, liquid, and seasoning to the pressure cooker. Stir to mix together.
- Next place the lid on the pressure cooker and set to seal.
- Cook on high pressure for 5 minutes. Cook times will vary, 5 minutes gives you al dente lentils. 6-8 minutes will be more tender, however, I do caution you that any longer and they will be mush. Best option is to start with just 5 minutes and add on time if needed. This way you can see which amount of time works best for you. It will require the pressure cooker to heat up again, but rather than waste your lentils, start with less time and add more time as needed. 5 minutes was the perfect time for me!
- Release – after the 5 minutes cook time, do a quick release by turning the sealing valve to release the pressure.
- Remove the lid and place on a sheet pan to help dry out/cool down your lentils (and prevent them from sticking altogether).
Notes
*The total time listed takes into account that the pressure cooker takes time to heat up and that can be anywhere from 10 minutes to 15 minutes depending on the model pressure cooker you have. So while the lentils only take 5 minutes to cook, account for the ‘warm up’ time and release time as well!
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 5
- Category: Mains
1 thought on “Pressure Cooker Lentils”
Thanks for the post on how to make them homemade! No mushy lentils!