Here's everything worth knowing about brown lentils and how to pick them, what they are, how to store them, and what to use instead, plus 23 recipes to cook tonight.

What are brown lentils?

Brown lentils are the plain workhorse of the legume bin, the ones sold simply as "lentils" in most supermarkets. They are small and dome-shaped, ranging from khaki to a deep muddy brown, with a mild, faintly earthy, almost mushroomy flavor that takes on whatever you season it with.

What makes them so useful is balance. They hold their shape better than red lentils, which dissolve into a puree. But they cook softer and faster than firm green Puy lentils.

That middle ground is why they end up in soups, stews, and weeknight meatless mains more than any other type.

Cooking With Brown Lentils

No soaking needed. Rinse them in a sieve and pick out the occasional stone or shriveled lentil, then simmer in plenty of unsalted water or broth.

They take about 20 to 30 minutes to turn tender while still holding together. Taste one at the 20-minute mark and pull them as soon as the centers go creamy.

Use roughly 3 cups of liquid per 1 cup of dry lentils for a pot you will drain, or build them straight into a soup with more. One cup dry yields about 2½ cups cooked.

For salads and tacos you want them intact, so stop while they still have a little bite. For a dhal or a sauce you want them soft.

Simple Brown Lentil Dhal leans on the second, while Spiced Lentil Tacos and Spicy Rice & Lentils want the first. Koushari (Lentils Macaroni & Rice in Oil) and Yemiser W'Et (Spicy Lentil Stew) both lean on how well the brown lentil carries big spice.

Pairing and Common Mistakes

Brown lentils love acid and warm spice. Cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, and bay all suit them, and a finishing splash of lemon or vinegar wakes up their earthiness.

They pair naturally with rice, sausage, braised pork, and caramelized onions, which is why they anchor everything from Nosmo's Moroccan Chili to a humble lentil soup.

The most common mistake is salting too early. Salt and acidic ingredients like tomato slow the softening, so the lentils can stay stubbornly firm if you add them at the start. Season the water lightly, but hold most of the salt and tomato until the lentils are nearly tender.

The other mistake is hard boiling. A rolling boil knocks them around and turns the batch to mush with broken skins floating off. Keep it at a gentle simmer and they stay whole.

Substitutes

Green lentils, including French Puy, are the closest swap and arguably better when you need them to hold shape in a salad. They are firmer and stay distinctly separate, so give them an extra 5 to 10 minutes.

Red or yellow lentils cook faster but collapse completely. Use them only when a smooth, thick result is the goal, like a dhal or a pureed soup. They will not work where you want intact lentils.

Canned brown or green lentils are a genuine time-saver. Drain and rinse them, then stir them in near the end since they are already cooked.

In a pinch, small beans such as black or pinto can stand in for the body in a chili or stew, though they bring a different texture.

Buying and Storing

Buy brown lentils where they turn over quickly. Older lentils are still safe but cook unevenly and can stay hard no matter how long you simmer, which is the usual culprit behind a batch that "won't soften."

Loose bulk bins are fine if the store is busy. Look for whole, unbroken lentils with a fairly uniform color.

Stored dry in an airtight jar away from heat and light, they keep their quality for about a year and remain edible well beyond that. Cooked lentils last 4 to 5 days in the fridge and freeze well for several months.

Freeze a big batch in flat, portioned bags and they thaw fast enough to drop straight into a weeknight soup.

Quick facts

In Chinese

褐色扁豆

British (UK) term

Brown lentils

en français

lentilles brunes

en español

lentejas

Recipes using brown lentils

There are 23 recipes that contain this ingredient.

All 23 recipes