Lentils are a great source of protein for vegetarians and vegans, but the sad fact is that they can be difficult to cook.

Adding water or stock to just bring them to a boil is a surefire way to have soggy lentils sitting in a pot. Luckily, there’s an easy solution: soaking them first! It will take up more time than your typical cooking method, but it will leave you with perfectly tender beans that are not only delicious, but better for you too.

5 Benefits Of Soaking Lentils

If you’re on a gluten-free diet and are a vegetarian, one key way to get your protein is with meatless sources. For many vegetarians, legumes such as lentils are the preferred source of protein.

Not only do lentils provide an excellent source of vegetable proteins and micro nutrients that help maintain the body’s immune system, it turns out there are some other benefits to soaking them before cooking them.

The benefits of soaking lentils are as follows:

(1) Improves digestibility and nutrient absorption

Lentils are one of the most nutritious foods on earth and are enjoyed by many health conscious, protein hungry individuals. However, it is a common misconception that lentils should not be soaked, because people believe that all of their nutrients will be “washed away” in the soaking process.

In reality, soaking can reduce the phytates and lectins that prevent the absorption of nutrients in the intestines. Although phytates are believed to have a role in preventing cancer, some studies have shown that soaking for a certain time period will significantly reduce them. This allows for more nutrient absorption by the body.

Soaking lentils increases their availability to the body since it makes them more water-soluble and facilitates blood circulation. This improves the absorption of nutrients such as amino acids and vitamins.

The process of fermenting soaked lentils before cooking them improves the digestibility of their proteins. Only about 65% of the total protein from unsoaked lentils is digested but soaking and fermenting these legumes increases the total digestibility to about 90%.

(2) Soaking improves the nutritional profile of the lentils

Activating the enzymes helps break down any difficult-to-digest components, such as raffinose and stachyose. These are both oligosaccharides which are complex forms of carbohydrates.

Raffinose and stachyose are both forms of a starch called raffinose. Raffinose can’t be digested by humans so it ferments in the gut, causing gas and bloating. If you have trouble digesting carbohydrates, eating lentils might give you some trouble. However, soaking your lentils before cooking them helps to reduce how much raffinose and stachyose is present.

(3) It also helps prevent heart disease and cancer!

One component of lentils that can be beneficial for your health is its phytonutrients. Phytonutrients are antioxidants that help reduce inflammation and prevent heart disease and cancer by reducing oxidative stress on your liver.

The cancer-fighting compounds in lentils are called folate, ferulic acid, phenolic acids, quercetin, kaempferol and rutin.

(4) Soaking Lentils Reduces Cooking Time

By soaking lentils before cooking them, it reduces the overall cooking time of them by one-third. When you are cooking lentils, you are mostly working in two dimensions – the thickness of the lentils themselves and their texture. By soaking them, you reduce their thickness and also make them extra soft.

Soaking times range between 8 to 24 hours depending on the size and age of the legume.

(5) Soak Lentils for Better Skin and Hair

Lentils are rich in many vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants which can help with hair growth and skin conditions such as psoriasis. Soaking lentils before cooking will help the body utilize the nutrients which are absorbed in the bloodstream. Adding oil to your soaking water will help soften the lentils for better digestion.

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Can you soak lentils overnight?

Yes, go for it! You will have a much better and tastier result by soaking your lentils first. Soaking them overnight ensures that they are soft and tender when cooked with veggie burgers for example.

What is Soaking?

Soaking means to soak lentils in water so that they soften and almost disintegrate. If you can cook a dried lentil by itself, then it is not truly soaked. You will need to cook the lentil with some sort of liquid or vegetables to break down the cell walls. This process breaks down the protein in lentils and this makes them more nutritious and easier for your body to digest when cooked.

If you are soaking your lentils for soup or for any dish where the lentils will be mashed, then you don’t need to soak the lentils. Just cook them with some liquid, add some salt and soups will be perfect. You can also add some other vegetables like spinach or kale to make a complete meal.

Lentil Cooking Tips

Don’t overcook the lentils as they could get mushy instead of tender and soft when cooked. Also make sure that you add enough water when cooking lentils. If you cook them with too little liquid, they will stick to the pot and they won’t break down properly.

If you plan on soaking your lentils, use hot water to soak them in. This will ensure that your lentils soften as quickly as possible. If you plan on seasoning the lentils after soaking them, then don’t soak them in a lot of salt or vinegar.

How long to soak lentils to remove phytic acid?

If you find yourself having trouble digesting lentils, or other legumes for that matter, it might be because of phytic acid. This is a type of anti nutrient that binds to minerals in your body and blocks their absorption. It also prevents the body from utilising macro nutrients like protein and carbs, which can have negative effects if you’re following a vegan diet or eating low-carb diets.

Preventing phytic acid buildup is best done by replacing the cooking water with fresh water and rinsing the lentils well before you cook them. However, it’s still a good idea to soak them first. This eliminates up to 87 percent of the phytic acid in the lentils.

Usually, four hours is enough time to remove enough of it from your lentils, but if you’re having trouble digesting them, you might want to increase this time frame. It may also be useful to soak other foods that have this phytate in them, like grains and beans.

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How to soak lentils quickly?

Ever wondered how to cook dried lentils quickly? For those who don’t have an hour or more, here is a quick and easy method for cooking puy lentils. The process takes about 20 minutes and yields about a cup of cooked lentils.

To begin, rinse the black beans in large bowl of cold water. Remove any skins that float to the top of your water. Next, put the black beans in your pressure cooker. Pour the water over the beans to just cover them. 

Return the pressure cooker to its burner and bring it up to full blast. This can take about 10 minutes. As soon as you hear a hissing sound and see vapor venting from the top of your pressure cooker, crank down to medium and let this cook for one hour on this setting. If needed, you can cook them for another 10 minutes on high but one hour is usually sufficient time.

If you don’t have a pressure cooker, a slow-cooker works almost just as well. 

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Do you have to soak all kinds of lentils?

Lentil soup is comfort food for many; but did you know that not all lentils need to be soaked before cooking? Some lentils take very little time, while others require up to 2 hours. The longer the soaking time, the softer and creamier the soup will be. Soaking will alter the water absorption of both types of lentils, making them more resistant to cooking and providing a firmer texture overall. This can also result in a sweeter taste if soaked for a long period of time. Make your soup taste exactly how you want it by choosing the right lentils.

Soaking time
It is generally recommended that lentils be soaked for a minimum of 2 hours in warm water before cooking, but this can vary depending on the variety. Some varieties of lentils will cook through in under an hour when using the pressure cooker, still resulting in a great tasting soup. Here are the estimates for soaking time.

Lentil Amount

Soaking Time for each variety of lentil:

1. Great Northern 1 cup (200 grams) 1-2 hours
2. Split Red/Brown 1 cup (200 grams) 2-4 hours
3. Green/French 3 cups (600 grams) 4-6 hours
4. Yellow 3 cups (600 grams) 6-8 hours

All of the above soak times are in a ratio of one cup of lentils to three cups of warm water.

Lentil varieties
Soaking time can vary depending on the variety of lentils that are used. Here is a breakdown of the different varieties and their soaking times.

Split Red Lentils, also known as Masoor dal: These small red lentils (actually a deep orange) have a mild peppery flavor, and they turn yellow when they are cooked. When soaked and cooked, they split into two segments, hence the name.

FAQ’s

Do you soak lentils in hot or cold water?

Lentils should be soaked in hot water for at least 15 minutes and up to 24 hours prior to cooking in order to achieve the best outcomes and to aid in lentil digestion.

How to Reduce Gas from Beans and Lentils?

Ideally, let your beans or lentils soak all night, but at least for four hours. Do not use the soaking water to cook the beans; instead, discard it. In order to remove those carbohydrates that cause gas, be sure to give your beans or lentils a good rinse before cooking.

Should green lentils be soaked?
Green lentils don’t need to be soaked, however doing so will speed up the cooking process. In either case, they should be rinsed before being boiled for 40 minutes or until tender in a ratio of one-part lentils to three parts water.

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