Add more protein packed lentils into your diet with this easy as heck pressure cooker recipe! 1/2 cup cooked gives you 110 calories, 0 g Fat, 19 g Carbs (and 8 g Fiber!), and 9 g Protein! These freeze wonderfully and are a great way to up the fiber and protein of any dish!
Lentils are my champion bean/legume/whatever they are classified as. They have an amazing amount of protein and fiber and swap so easily for meat in dishes. Lentil Bolognese? Yes! Lentil Sloppy Joes? HECK YES (That one is coming soon!). They are also a great addition to soups and curries! Especially in Indian curries.
My only problem with these buggers is they take a ridiculous amount of time to cook. I’ve tried so many recipes that promise a quick stove top cooking time only to be let down with tough lentils. So I’m forced to add even more water and more cooking time which means I end up with mush, which is just terrible!
This recipe was born out of desperation people! I needed a reliable way to cook lentils that were still a bit al dente after cooking! Also I have heard of the mysterious beings that are canned cooked lentils but I have never seen them! Maybe they are solely a European/Australian thing?
This recipe takes all of 15 minutes (including the time it takes to get to pressure!) and gives you perfectly cooked lentils every time! No mushy-ness! Hip hip hooray! I love to freeze mine so that way I always have some cooked on hand, even if it means defrosting some for a recipe.
15 Minute Pressure Cooker Lentils
THE easiest way to prep lentils ahead of time. This recipe will give you a little over 2 cups of cooked lentils, perfect for adding into soups, salads, and casseroles.
Ingredients
- 1.5 cup water, cold
- 1 cup dried brown lentils
Instructions
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Sort through the dried lentils and pick out any stones or twigs, there is no need to rinse them. In the bowl of your pressure cooker add the water and lentils, give it a quick stir so that all the lentils are covered in water. Add the lid and twist it to the locked position, make sure the steam release is set to closed. The pressure cooker will take 7-8 minutes to come to pressure. Cook at high pressure for 5 minutes under the manual setting (Note 1).
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After it has cooked, wait an additional 5 minutes (the pressure cooker will switch to ‘Keep Warm’) and then manually release the pressure. This ensures your pressure cooker doesn’t spew a bunch of lentil juice everywhere.
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Lentils will have a bit of water around them (see photos) but I find that I don’t have to rinse this off. Serve right away in any dish you’d like or keep in the fridge for up to 5 days. To freeze simply put them into a freezer safe bag or container, and push out as much air as possible. Lentils can be frozen safely for a few months. I hope you enjoy this recipe!
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This recipe will make 2 and 1/4 cups of cooked lentils
Recipe Notes
Note 1: I own and use the Crock Pot Express Crock Multi Cooker. It does not have a labelled manual setting. Instead you can use either the Beans/Chili, Dessert, or Soup settings, which operate as manual. Make sure to adjust the pressure settings and times for your recipe! You can read more on their FAQ page here.
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1/2 cup
Servings Per Container 4.5
Amount Per Serving
Calories 110
Calories from Fat 0
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g
0%
Saturated Fat 0g
0%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 0mg
0%
Sodium 2mg
0%
Total Carbohydrate 19g
6%
Dietary Fiber 8g
32%
Sugars 2g
Protein 9g
18%
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
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Life of Pisica
No photos of the cat today, she won’t sit still long enough. If she isn’t running around the house then she is settling in for one of her 5 minute petting sessions! She has been really into the whole petting thing lately.