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    You are here: Home » Dietary Restrictions » Vegetarian » Cooking Basics: How to Make Sprouted Lentils

    Cooking Basics: How to Make Sprouted Lentils

    May 15, 2017 By Danielle Esposti 3 Comments

    May contain affiliate links.See our Privacy Policy and disclosure.

    Get your sprout on and learn how to sprout lentils. Sprouted Lentils are crunchy and delicate, delicious in raw salads and sandwiches.

    Get your sprout on and learn how to sprout lentils. Sprouted lentils are crunchy and delicate, delicious in raw salads and sandwiches.
    Jump to:
    • How to Make Sprouted Lentils

    Let’s talk about homemade sprouted lentils. For readers with kids, this is a fun food experiment to do with them (or even put them in charge of), particularly for the elementary crowd where such transformations are still quite fascinating. I can’t promise that participating will make your child actually want to eat the sprouts (mine won’t, womp womp) but it will get them into the kitchen, engaged in the cooking process, and that’s always a win for me.

    Let’s get this out of the way first – making sprouted lentils (or any other pulse, legume or seed) takes a bit of time, usually 3-5 days. That being said, the daily effort is minimal – just a minute or two every morning and evening.

    Get your sprout on and learn how to sprout lentils. Sprouted lentils are crunchy and delicate, delicious in raw salads and sandwiches.

    So given the time commitment, why do I get my sprout on? Because sprouted lentils are tasty. And, owing to the principles of the Minimalist Foodie Challenge, I like having around pantry items that I can use in multiple ways. While lentils are delicious boiled and braised, they take on an entirely different profile when they’re sprouted – they are crisp, crunchy, and very slightly bitter (in a pleasing way, like baby arugula). I particularly like them in salads and I’ll share one of my favorites with you tomorrow.

    The upside to the time investment is that you don’t need any special equipment – a mason (or other glass) jar, some cheesecloth or other open weave material (or a coffee filter in a pinch), and a rubber band. That’s it.

    How to Make Sprouted Lentils

    Day 1:  First thing in the morning, grab some lentils. Measure out half a cup and then sort through and discard any broken or discolored lentils. Rinse the lentils in a strainer under cool running water.

    Get your sprout on and learn how to sprout lentils. Sprouted lentils are crunchy and delicate, delicious in raw salads and sandwiches.

    Pour the lentils into a large glass container (I use a half-gallon mason jar). Use a container that is at least 4x the volume of your sprouts, as they will expand in size as they grow.

    Get your sprout on and learn how to sprout lentils. Sprouted lentils are crunchy and delicate, delicious in raw salads and sandwiches.

    Add 3-4 cups of filtered water to the lentils, cover the jar with a piece of cheesecloth and secure with a rubber band. Allow the lentils to soak overnight, or up to 24 hours, in a cool location out of direct sunlight.

    Day 2:  The next morning, the lentils will be fat and plump. Drain and rinse the soaked lentils. I do this by simply inverting the jar (with the cheesecloth still intact) over the sink and allowing the water to drain through the cloth.

    Get your sprout on and learn how to sprout lentils. Sprouted lentils are crunchy and delicate, delicious in raw salads and sandwiches.

    Then rinse them again – pour another 3-4 cups of water over the lentils, swirl them around, and drain to remove any remaining bits of the soaking water. Drain as much of the water as possible so that the lentils at the bottom of the jar are not waterlogged. Again, place them in a cool location out of direct sunlight. Later that evening, drain and rinse the lentils and return them to their non-direct-sunlight home. You’re going to repeat this drain-and-rinse process twice a day (I do it first thing in the morning and right after dinner) until your lentils reach the desired level of sprout.

    Day 3:  Rinse and drain in the morning and evening. You’ll notice that the lentils are probably sporting a cute little tail today.

    Get your sprout on and learn how to sprout lentils. Sprouted lentils are crunchy and delicate, delicious in raw salads and sandwiches.

    Day 4:  Rise and drain in the morning and evening.

    Get your sprout on and learn how to sprout lentils. Sprouted lentils are crunchy and delicate, delicious in raw salads and sandwiches.

    By this day, your lentils just might be ready. It all depends on your kitchen environment and how sprouted you want them to be. Some prefer their lentils barely sprouted (like Day 3) and they are great at this stage if you’re planning to cook them into a soup, stew, or warm salad. For raw consumption, I like to them them go until their initial leaves emerge (like above) and begin to separate (like below).

    Day 5:  This is how my lentils looked on the fifth morning. Success!

    Get your sprout on and learn how to sprout lentils. Sprouted lentils are crunchy and delicate, delicious in raw salads and sandwiches.

    Gently remove the lentils from the glass jar using either your hands or tongs. Rinse them in a strainer under cool running water, then spread them out on a cotton dish cloth or paper towels to dry. Consume immediately, raw, in salads or stuffed into sandwiches. These keep in the fridge for about three days. To store, wrap them in a clean cotton dish cloth or paper towels and place in the fridge.

    Did you make these Sprouted Lentils? I’d love to know how it turned out! Leave a comment and a rating below.

    While you’re at it, let’s be friends – follow me on Pinterest and Instagram for the latest and greatest.

    « Roasted Garlic Sweet Pea Bruschetta
    Vegan Sprouted Lentil Salad »

    Disclaimer: This post and the recipe card may contain affiliate links, which means we receive a small commission (at no cost to you!) if you make a purchase using these links. Rest assured, we only endorse products we own and truly love!

    3 Comments
    Filed Under: Gluten Free, Vegetarian Tagged With: cooking basics, how to, lentils, raw, sprouting, sprouts, tutorial

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. kemal

      May 19, 2019 at 5:39 pm

      Can I eat every lentil raw after sprouting?
      Could I Ferment them after sprouting and eat them raw after fermenting?

      Reply
      • Danielle

        May 21, 2019 at 5:45 pm

        Yes, you can eat them as is! I use them sprouted raw in salads and sandwiches – they’re delicious. If you search the blog, there is a sprouted lentil salad recipe.

        I’m not a fermenter, so I don’t know about fermenting them.

        Reply
        • Helda

          October 28, 2020 at 10:24 pm

          Does your lid covered or lid open type?. Means no air coming in?

          Reply

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