Soup, pâté, salad with lentils as the main ingredient

Lentils, after being soaked in water, are cooked for 15 to 30 minutes depending on the variety. They can serve as the primary component of a dish or as an addition to soups, sauces, salads, patties, pastries, meals, or spreads. The subtle flavor of lentils allows for versatile pairings with other ingredients, such as meat, vegetables, or fruits. The method of preparing lentils depends on creativity, so it is worthwhile to experiment with different forms and components to discover the ideal combination.

1. Lentil soup: 1.5 liters of broth, 150 g lentils, 1 teaspoon butter, 1 onion, salt, pepper, parsley. Rinse lentils, soak in water, after an hour drain the water and pour in broth. In a pan, sauté finely chopped onion. Cook until lentils are tender. Before serving, add spices to taste. 2. Lentil and mushroom soup: 1 cup lentils, 6 cups mushroom broth, 20 g dried mushrooms, 1 onion, 5 g butter, 3 egg yolks, 200 g cream, salt, pepper. Cook lentils in a small amount of water, then strain through a sieve and dilute with mushroom broth. Remove mushrooms, slice into thin strips. Sauté chopped onion in a pan. Mix egg yolks with cream, add to soup without boiling. Before serving, season and garnish with mushrooms. 3. Lentil and spinach soup: 150 g lentils, 500 g spinach, 5 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon ground coriander, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons flour, 1 large potato, lemon juice or vinegar, salt, pepper. Rinse lentils, cook in water until tender. Trim spinach, chop. Peel potato, cube, add to lentils, cook. 15 minutes before the end, add spinach, season. Sauté onion, garlic, and coriander in olive oil, add flour, mix, stir into soup. Simmer for 5 minutes, add lemon juice. Serve with dark bread.

4. Lentil Paste 250 g Lentils 5 medium carrots 1 large onion 3 garlic cloves 4 eggs Salt Pepper Bay leaf 3 grains of English herb ½ tsp ground cumin ½ tsp sweet paprika ½ tsp curry powder Oil Rinse the lentils, cover with cold water (about 250 ml), and boil together with bay leaf, English herb, and a pinch of salt. Remove the spices and set aside. Peel, wash, and grate the carrots finely. Sauté the diced onion and garlic in a hot pan until translucent. Add the carrots and cook until tender. Remove from heat and let cool. Combine the lentils with the pan contents and beaten eggs. Stir in the spices and mix thoroughly. Transfer the mixture to a baking dish. Bake at 200°C for approximately one hour. Store in the refrigerator after baking.

5. Lentil salad with yellow cheese: 300 g lentils, 200 g yellow cheese, 1–2 tablespoons mustard, 3 tablespoons chopped parsley, a few slices of peeled lemon, salt, pepper, sugar. Sort the lentils, rinse, cover with water, boil, and add salt towards the end of cooking. After boiling, drain and cool. Slice the yellow cheese into thin strips. Mix the lentils with the cheese, mustard, chopped lemon, and parsley. Season with salt, pepper, and sugar. 6. Lentil salad with corn: 1 cup lentils, 1 can corn, 2 medium pickles, 1 large bell pepper, 3 tablespoons chopped leek, 1 tablespoon oil, salt, pepper. Rinse the lentils, cover with cold water, boil, drain, and cool. Add corn, diced bell pepper, pickles, and leek. Add oil, mix, and season with salt and pepper. 7. Lentil salad with walnuts: 200 g lentils, 5 walnuts, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 3 tablespoons mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon chopped canned paprika, salt, pepper, sugar. Rinse the lentils, cover with cold water, boil, drain, and cool. Shell the walnuts, blanch, peel, crush, combine with lentils, and add lemon juice, mayonnaise, and paprika. Season to taste. Lentils are an exceptionally nutritious and healthy component of a balanced diet. Dishes containing them are filling and provide numerous vitamins and nutrients. The preparation of this legume is quick and does not require advanced culinary skills. I recommend experimenting with combining lentils not only with other vegetables or meat but also with fruits, grains, and nuts.