Don't have Le Puy green lentils on hand? You can use any type of cooked lentil in this recipe and it will still be delicious. We used Black Beluga Lentils for our salad! Also, making the cashew cheese requires some forethought, so if you don’t have any on hand or time to make it, you can omit it or substitute a chopped avocado.
The Best Way to Cook Lentils Good news: lentils are quicker to prepare from scratch than beans and add great texture and nutrition to dishes. To cook them, start with about 1 cup (200g) of red, brown, or Le Puy (green) lentils. Pick out any that are discolored or shriveled. Rinse the lentils under running water, then combine them in a saucepan with 2 1⁄2 cups (590ml) of water. Bring the water to a rapid simmer, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Add extra water as needed so that the lentils remain barely submerged.
Simmer the lentils for 20 to 30 minutes, until they’re tender but retain some chew. (Red lentils take less time to cook because they’ve been split, so they’ll likely be tender in 20 to 25 minutes.) Drain them, then season with salt and pepper to taste. 1 cup (200g) of dry red, brown, or Le Puy lentils will make between 2 and 2 1⁄4 cups (400 to 450g) of cooked lentils.