MAKES: 3 CUPS
TIME: 50 MINUTES
Lightly seasoned lentils are a satisfying topping or main ingredient in entrée salads. You can and should try cooking other beans from scratch too (such as black beans and chickpeas), but unlike other beans, lentils require no soaking and cook quickly, making them an easy veggie protein. Freeze half the batch in plastic bags for lentils anytime, any salad.
1 cup firm-textured uncooked lentils (such as black, brown, or French)
2¼ cups water
2 bay leaves
½ teaspoon dried thyme
¼ teaspoon salt
1 Pick over the raw lentils to remove any debris or anything nonlentily. Pour into a fine-mesh sieve, rinse, and transfer to a large saucepan.
2 Add to the saucepan the water, bay leaves, thyme, and salt and bring to a rolling boil over high heat for 3 minutes. Turn down the heat to low, cover, and cook for 40 to 45 minutes, or until almost all of the water has been absorbed and the lentils are tender. Turn off the heat, uncover, and gently stir with a fork. Cool for 20 minutes or chill before using. Store chilled and consume within 4 days for best flavor.