Lentils in a slow cooker: a collection of healthy eating recipes

General principles of cooking porridge

Lentils contain a large number of essential microelements for the body. First of all, these are potassium, iron, calcium, and fatty acids. Lentils also contain a lot of protein, which is easily digestible. Therefore, the product is not inferior in nutritional value to meat. It is definitely included in the diet of vegetarians.

Regular consumption of lentils has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the entire gastrointestinal tract. The abundance of fiber in it normalizes intestinal activity, helps cope with constipation, and actively removes toxins. At the same time, lentils on the menu do not cause increased gas formation. Legumes also improve blood quality and speed up metabolic processes. They also have a positive effect on the functioning of the heart and blood vessels.

Preparing lentil porridge is simple, but it is recommended to proceed strictly according to the following scheme:

• First, the legumes are sorted to remove empty grains;
• after that, rinse thoroughly with water several times until it becomes transparent;
• then the lentils are filled with water in the proportion: 1 part legumes / 2 parts liquid (if you do not follow this rule, the end result will not be porridge, but a viscous puree;
• cooking time will depend on the color of the legumes: red/yellow – 15-17 minutes, brown – 25-30 minutes, green – 50-55 minutes;
• The lentils are salted approximately 5-10 minutes before they are fully cooked, otherwise it may take much longer to cook them.

Classic recipe

Lentil porridge, which housewives most often decide to cook according to the classic recipe, is very tasty from red legumes.

This type of product is considered a record holder for the content of useful substances.

Ingredients

For the dish you need to take:

• red lentils – 180-200 g;
• water – 1.5 tbsp.;
• salt, oil.

If desired, you can add fresh herbs to the already prepared treat. For example, parsley works well for this dish.

Sequencing

Stages:

1. First, you will need to rinse the lentils very thoroughly with running water. When a completely transparent liquid begins to drain from it, you can transfer the product to a pan of suitable size and fill it with water. The latter is taken 1.5 times more than legumes.
2. Next, bring the mass in the pan to a boil and reduce the heat to low. The lentils will cook under these conditions for approximately 10-12 minutes under the lid. It must be stirred frequently during the process.
3. When the dish is almost ready, it will lighten significantly. At this point you can add salt.
4. It is also delicious to flavor the porridge with pepper and other spices.

The ready-made treat is placed hot on portioned plates. All that remains is to add butter to each portion. And if desired, sprinkle with chopped herbs.

With meat

Lentil porridge, which can be prepared according to several dozen recipes, is especially tasty and satisfying with meat. For example, pork is often added to the dish. Only boneless meat pulp should be used. Pork definitely requires preliminary preparation, just like legumes. Lentils cannot be sent raw. The calorie content of the finished dish will be approximately 180.5 kcal per 100 g.

Lentil porridge can be cooked with meat.

And his BJU:

Ingredients

For the dish you need to take:

• pork pulp - half a kilo;
• lentils – 1 full glass;
• garlic – 5-6 cloves;
• tomato sauce, herbs, salt.

Garlic is added to this treat for added piquancy. But if you wish, you can completely exclude it from the recipe.

Sequencing

Stages:

1. Pre-prepared (washed and dried) pork pulp should be cut into small pieces. Afterwards, add filtered water and cook until fully cooked. At the very end, you can salt the meat. Do not drain the broth; it will be useful later.
2. Already cooked and cooled meat will need to be cut into small pieces convenient for serving porridge.

3. In the broth remaining after cooking the pork, you need to cook the legumes. When the lentils have softened enough, you can add small pieces of meat prepared above and salt to it. You should also add garlic to your treat. It is first peeled and chopped into thin slices.

All that remains is to carefully mix the porridge, cover it with a lid and let it brew for about 10-12 minutes. Afterwards, you can season the treat with tomato sauce to taste and sprinkle with herbs. If the taste of the dish is not bright and piquant enough, you should add a pinch of ground chili on top of each serving.

Red lentil soup

This soup turns out to be dietary and vegetarian. Ingredients: 120 g of red lentils, 1 liter of filtered water, 2 medium potatoes, onions, table salt, carrots, aromatic herbs.

1. Carrots and onions are fried in vegetable oil.
2. When the vegetables acquire a light golden hue, you can add the washed lentils to them.
3. The products are filled with water and cooked in the steam cooking program for 15-17 minutes.
4. The potatoes are finely chopped and also added to the soup along with spices and salt. In the same mode, the dish is cooked for another 15-17 minutes.

The treat goes well with dried basil and coriander.

With vegetables

Delicious, hearty lentil porridge can be prepared without meat. For example, a variety of vegetables go well with legumes. You can use for a dish, for example, only red bell peppers or a whole assortment. The second option is preferable. It is advisable to use vegetables of different colors for the dish. Then it will turn out especially appetizing and bright.

Ingredients

For the dish you need to take:

• lentils (red) – 230-250 g;
• onions, carrots, celery (stem) - 1 pc.;
• garlic – 3-4 cloves;
• sweet pepper – 2-3 pods;
• oil, herbs, salt.

This treat can be prepared with lentils of a different color, but red ones do not require pre-soaking. You can choose the composition of vegetables according to your taste. The amount of garlic can be increased or decreased according to your taste.

Sequencing

Stages:

1. You should start the process with bell pepper. Each pod is washed and cut into 4 parts. It is necessary to remove the stalk from it, clean out the seeds and internal partitions. It is advisable to use peppers of different colors. For example, yellow, red and orange at once. Then the finished dish will look very beautiful and appetizing.
2. The remaining parts of the peppers are chopped into medium-sized strips and poured into a frying pan with well-heated oil.

3. Onions, carrots, and celery are immediately added to them. All vegetables should be washed and chopped into arbitrary pieces. It is desirable that they turn out to be approximately the same size.
4. When all the vegetables are slightly browned, add the lentils, washed until clear water, to them. Under no circumstances should you soak beans for this recipe.
5. The contents of the pan should be poured so that it is completely covered with liquid. Then, under the lid, the components will simmer together for about a quarter of an hour.
6. It is important that the grains do not overcook during the process. Therefore, you will need to monitor the porridge very carefully. You should start checking its readiness after 8-10 minutes.
7. At the very end, fresh herbs are included in the treat. It will need to be washed, dried and finely chopped in advance. It is best to take assorted greens for such a dish - a mixture of parsley, cilantro and dill.

Completely prepared porridge with vegetables should be divided into portioned plates. To make it even tastier and more satisfying, you can sprinkle a handful of grated cheese on top of each one. Then it’s worth trying the dish when the shavings have already melted and are stretching appetizingly.

Cooking steps:

1) Peel the carrots and garlic. Of course, you can cook lentils in a slow cooker without anything. But in such company it will turn out even more delicious.

2) Grind the carrots on a grater, turning them into large chips. Do not crush or rub the garlic, but finely chop it with a knife. This is necessary so that it does not boil over and transfers its aroma to the finished dish.

3) Wash the lentils under running warm water. There is no need to soak it, at least this does not affect the speed of cooking.

4) Turn on the multicooker (in this recipe - Polaris 0517 AD) in the “Frying” mode, setting the temperature to 130 °C and the minimum possible time, here it is 10 minutes. Pour in a little unrefined sunflower oil.

5) After a couple of minutes, when the oil is hot, add carrots and garlic into it. Stirring, bring the carrots until golden brown without frying. The carrots will reach the desired state faster than the specified 10 minutes have passed, so the frying program must be interrupted by manually turning it off.

6) It's time to add lentils to the slow cooker. You need to mix everything and add salt to taste. Add water in a 2:1 ratio to the lentils. Close the lid.

7) Turn on the “Cereal” mode, set the time to 30 minutes. If you do not have such a mode, select “Porridge” or “Buckwheat” and set the time for which rice is usually cooked in your multicooker + 5 minutes.

When the ready signal sounds, you can open the lid and remove the bowl. Lentils in a slow cooker prepared in this way turn out very tasty. Carrots neutralize the specific bean taste, garlic notes add piquancy. Try it, you will like it!

With stew

Lentil porridge can also be supplemented with stewed meat if there is no fresh meat in stock. These products make it even faster and easier to prepare a hearty, appetizing dish for lunch. Stewed beef fits best into the treat. But if you wish, you can use pork, chicken, even horse meat.

The porridge is complemented with an original sour cream-based sauce.

Ingredients

For the dish you need to take:

• lentils – 1.5 tbsp.;
• mustard (sweet/spicy) and ground horseradish - 1 tsp each;
• stewed beef – 330-350 g;
• butter (you can use ghee) – 1-2 tbsp. l.;
• root celery – 130-150 g;
• full-fat sour cream – 170-200 g;
• garlic – 6-7 cloves;
• onions, sweet peppers, carrots - 1 pc.;
• broth (meat/vegetable) – 900-950 ml;
• butter – 1-2 tbsp. l.;
• fresh cilantro and parsley – 30-35 g;
• salt.

Sequencing

Stages:

1. First you need to tackle all the vegetables in the recipe. They are washed and cleaned if necessary. Next, you will need to chop the vegetables into miniature cubes and pour them into a frying pan with heated butter.
2. The vegetables should be lightly golden. It is important to ensure that the food does not burn, otherwise the porridge will eventually taste bitter.
3. Already fried vegetables should be accompanied by lentils, thoroughly washed until clear water. Together, the components will fry for another 3-4 minutes.
4. Afterwards, you can pour the ingredients with broth and add salt. If you don’t have broth on hand, you can replace it with plain water.
5. All that remains is to simmer the treat until the lentils are soft. The mixture must be stirred during the process, but not covered with a lid.
6. While the porridge is cooking, you can make the sauce. To do this, all the fresh herbs specified in the recipe (washed and dried) are placed in a blender bowl. Sour cream, mustard, horseradish, and salt are added to it. Any spices are suitable for the sauce.
7. The ingredients mixed in a blender bowl are ground until smooth.
8. When the lentils have completely softened and become almost dry, you need to add the beef stew to the porridge. All that remains is to mix and keep the mixture on the fire for another 6-7 minutes.

The treat is served hot. The porridge is laid out on plates. Next, each serving is topped with a spicy green sauce.

With mushrooms

Lentils go well with a variety of mushrooms. Champignons and honey mushrooms fit perfectly into the dish. The latter can be taken pickled to decorate the treat.

Interestingly, the porridge according to this recipe is cooked on a base with the addition of tomato juice. The drink should be natural, but without pulp.

Ingredients

For the dish you need to take:

• filtered water – 2 tbsp.;
• lentils and tomato juice - 1 tbsp each;
• tomato, onion, carrot - 1 pc.;
• mushrooms – 180-200 g;
• ground cardamom – 1 tsp;
• salt, herbs.

Sequencing

Stages:

1. First, you will need to rinse the lentils thoroughly until the water is clear. Afterwards, pour into a bowl. The beans are filled with fresh water. The product is left in this form overnight.
2. In the morning, the water is drained and the cereal is washed. Next, the lentils should be filled with fresh water.
3. The prepared legumes are transferred to the pan. Champignons should also be sent there. The mushrooms are first peeled from the thin outer skin and cut into small pieces.
4. Together, the ingredients should cook for 10-12 minutes after boiling. They should be cooked over low heat, stirring frequently.
5. The next step is to take care of the vegetables. They are washed and cleaned. The onion should be chopped into small cubes, the carrots should be grated coarsely, the tomato should be cut into slices.

6. Chopped vegetables along with tomato juice are added to the porridge. Afterwards it is left to cook under the lid until fully cooked.
7. About 5-7 minutes before removing the pan from the heat, you need to salt the treat and add cardamom to it.

After thorough mixing, the porridge can be served. Chopped greens are already poured into the plates with the treat.

With onion

Brown lentils, which can be cooked either separately or in combination with other ingredients, are most often prepared with onions.

To make a dish in which the listed products are key, the cook will need:

The algorithm for preparing brown lentils with onions should look like this:

1. To begin with, it is recommended to sort out the lentils and rinse them thoroughly in running water. Rinse until the drained liquid becomes clear.
2. For faster cooking, lentils can be soaked in cold water for 7-10 minutes.
3. The prepared lentils should be poured with filtered water, calculating its quantity based on the proportions of 1 to 2, where 1 is cereal and 2 is liquid.
4. Place the water with lentils on the fire and bring to a boil.
5. When the water boils, cover the contents of the pan with a lid and then simmer over low heat for at least 20 minutes.
6. In 7 minutes Before the lentils are fully cooked, it is recommended to add salt to the pan, then mix all the ingredients.
7. After the recommended cooking time has passed, the lentils should be placed in a colander to allow excess liquid to drain.
8. While the cereal is cooking, the onion must be washed, then cut into half rings and placed in a hot frying pan greased with vegetable oil.
9. It is recommended to wash the tomatoes, pour boiling water over them and, after removing the skin from the vegetables, cut them into medium-sized cubes.

10. Tomatoes need to be fried along with onions, adding salt, granulated sugar, cilantro and spices chosen by the chef to the main ingredients.
11. When excess liquid has evaporated from the vegetable mixture, add the lentils to the pan. The optimal cooking time at this stage is 3-5 minutes.

With peas

Lentil porridge, which can be prepared according to several dozen recipes, can be supplemented with peas. The latter is suitable for a dish and fresh frozen. The dish will turn out tasty and satisfying if you take lentils and peas in equal quantities. It is important not to skimp on spices for your treat. For example, take a combination of coriander and a special mixture of spices for vegetables.

Ingredients

For the dish you need to take:

• lentils and fresh frozen peas - 1 tbsp each;
• ripe tomatoes – 270-300 g;
• broth - 1 tbsp.;
• parsley roots – 45-50 g;
• coriander – 30-35 g;
• white wine – ½ tbsp.;
• fresh garlic – 5-6 cloves;
• melted butter – 80 g;
• vegetable spice mixture, salt.

Sequencing

Stages:

1. At the very first step, you will need to sort the lentils from empty grains and rinse thoroughly with cold water. Afterwards, the beans are soaked and left for approximately 70-80 minutes.

2. The parsley root is peeled and finely chopped into rings. The greens are chopped very finely.
3. In the next step, you will need to pour boiling water over the tomatoes. The tomatoes are left in this form for about 10 minutes. Afterwards they are doused with ice water and peeled. This can be easily done directly with your hands.
4. Approximately half of the peeled tomatoes need to be processed with an immersion blender. You should get a thick, homogeneous mass. The remaining tomatoes will need to be cut into large slices.
5. Chopped parsley root is fried in a frying pan with heated oil. Add all the spices from the recipe, tomato slices, and garlic to it. The latter must first be peeled and then chopped very finely.
6. Then white wine is poured into the pan. The mixture must be simmered until the wine has evaporated.
7. Afterwards, you can add frozen lentils and peas to the pan. After 3-4 minutes, broth and tomato puree are poured in. All that remains is to add salt to the treat, close the lid and simmer until fully cooked.

Ready-made porridge is served hot. To do this, you need to divide it into portioned plates. You can complement the dish with slices of fresh bread or pieces of fresh vegetables.

With smoked meats

To make brown lentil soup with smoked meats you will need:

The step-by-step process for preparing the dish in question will look like this:

1. To begin with, it is recommended to sort out the lentils and rinse them thoroughly in running water. Rinse until the drained liquid becomes clear.
2. For faster cooking, lentils can be soaked in cold water for 7-10 minutes.
3. It is recommended to boil smoked meats for 30-40 minutes, then add pre-prepared lentils to them.
4. Vegetables must be washed, peeled, and then chopped and added to the broth. The optimal cooking time for ingredients is 20 minutes.
5. In 5-10 minutes. Before the dish is ready, put butter, spices and fresh herbs in a saucepan with soup.

Milk porridge

Lentil porridge (it’s quick and easy to prepare) can also be sweet. Natural bee honey, fruits, dried fruits, and nuts are added to it. This treat would be a great breakfast option. To decorate it, you can use any seeds or chopped nuts.

Ingredients

For the dish you need to take:

• lentils – 1 tbsp.;
• full fat milk – 2 tbsp;
• dried apricots – 6 pcs.;
• honey (natural bee) – 1.5-2 tbsp. l.;
• flax seeds - 1 tbsp. l.;
• walnuts (shelled) – ½ tbsp.;
• apples (sweet and sour) – 2 pcs.

Sequencing

Stages:

1. First, rinse the lentils thoroughly with cold water. Afterwards it is soaked overnight. In the morning you can start preparing the porridge.
2. The dried apricots will need to be washed and cut into small pieces. If the dried fruits have dried out, it is best to lightly soak them in warm water first.

3. The skin of the apple must be thinly cut. And also cut out the seed crown. The remaining part is cut into miniature pieces.
4. The apples along with the peeled nuts are poured into the blender bowl. These ingredients are crushed into a thick mass.
5. Milk is poured into a small saucepan with a thick bottom. When it boils, you can add legumes. You should immediately add flax seeds to the ingredients.
6. The porridge is then sent to cook over medium heat. The milk should boil. Afterwards, you can reduce the heat on the stove and cook the treat for 6-7 minutes, stirring frequently.
7. It is worth adding all the sweet ingredients to the fully prepared lentil mass. The ingredients are thoroughly mixed and you can remove the porridge from the stove.

The resulting porridge is laid out on plates. On top you need to add a portion of the apple-nut mixture.

Lentil side dish

Legumes go well with meat and vegetables, as well as boiled fish. Lentils cook quite quickly in a slow cooker. The main thing is not to add salt at the beginning of cooking, otherwise the product may boil over. You can cook green or black lentils as a side dish for any dish. To do this, take one carrot and grate it on a coarse grater, chop the onion and fry everything in a multicooker on the “Fry” function until golden brown. Wash and sort out the beans in the amount of 2 measuring cups, and then add them to the carrots and onions. Pour this lightly fried mixture into 2 measuring glasses of water and turn on the “Soup”, “Porridge” or “Multi-cook” mode. You can start preparing the main dish. At the end of the cooking process, salt and pepper the side dish, you can add herbs to taste.

Recipe in a slow cooker

To be sure that the porridge does not burn, you can cook it in a multicooker bowl. In this case, the dish does not even need to be stirred. To prepare the porridge under discussion, the pilaf mode is perfect.

Ingredients

For the dish you need to take:

• green (French) lentils – 1 tbsp.;
• red lentils – ½ cup;
• chicken fillet – 650-700 g;
• tomato and sweet pepper – 1 pc.;
• water – 2 tbsp.;
• salt, oil, herbs.

From the specified amount of products you will end up with 4-5 servings.

Sequencing

Stages:

1. Carrots must be washed, peeled and processed with a grater with medium/large divisions.

2. The chicken will need to be washed, dried and cut into small pieces.
3. Next, pour a small amount of oil into the multicooker bowl. Carrots are fried on it until lightly browned. To do this, use the frying or baking mode.
4. Afterwards, you can add chicken fillet to the carrots. The bird is pre-washed, dried and poured into a bowl with the carrots. Allow the chicken meat to turn white. There is no need to brown the bird.
5. In the next step, tomato pieces are poured into the bowl. The tomato should first be washed and cut into small cubes.
6. After mixing, fry the ingredients for another 3-4 minutes.
7. Next, you can switch the mode to “Pilaf”, add washed lentils and salt to the vegetables and chicken. With the lid closed, the treat will cook for 80-90 minutes. You can add any spices to it. For example, curry.

The finished treat is served hot. It is laid out on portioned plates and topped with butter. You can sprinkle the top of the dish with chopped green onions and dill.

Lentil soup in a slow cooker

For soup, it is best to take red or orange lentils, wash and sort. For aromatic lentil soup with smoked meats, you will need 300-400 grams of hot smoked pork ribs or other smoked meats, as well as 2 small potatoes, carrots, onions, and spices. Fry the grated carrots and onions in a slow cooker until yellow, and then add the ribs (pre-chopped and trimmed) to them.

It is best to trim excess fat from meat to make the soup more tasty and aromatic. Lentils in a slow cooker will cook for 15-20 minutes, during which time the remaining ingredients will have time to cook, so they can be placed in the container at the same time. Add 1 scoop of red or orange lentils and chopped potatoes to the ribs, carrots, and onions. Fill everything with 3-4 cm of water. Turn on the “Soup” mode. At the end of cooking (10-15 minutes before readiness), you need to add spices and salt, herbs to taste.

Useful tips and tricks

The following tips will help you prepare delicious lentil porridge:

• It is necessary to pre-soak the legumes in a warm place (at least 3-5 hours, but better all night);
• A variety of spices are perfect for lentils - dried ginger, turmeric, coriander, black pepper;
• You shouldn’t use the “marbled” variety of legumes for porridge - it boils very poorly, so it’s best suited for salad.

Hearty lentil porridge can be prepared using more than 20 recipes. For example, with the addition of pork, stewed meat, vegetables and even honey and dried fruits.