How do you prepare and cook green lentils for salads etc?

Do you have to soak them, and for how long. then do they need cooking or will they be ready after soaking. Hope someone can help coz i have no idea lol, thanks guys xHow do you prepare and cook green lentils for salads etc?
Francois is right...

No need to soak lentils nowadays.

Simply rinse them well under running water, pop in to a saucepan with enough water just to cover the lentils and cook on high until soft.

Should take no longer than 5 minutesHow do you prepare and cook green lentils for salads etc?
6 slices thick-cut bacon, coarsely chopped

1 small onion, diced

6 cups water

1 3/4-pound smoked ham hock

1 pound French green lentils, rinsed, drained

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

4 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

1/2 cup walnut oil or olive oil

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1/2 cup chopped red onion

1/2 cup chopped celery



Cook bacon in heavy large saucepan over medium heat until brown and crisp. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain. Add onion to drippings in saucepan; saut茅 until very tender, about 15 minutes. Add 6 cups water, ham hock, lentils, 1/4 cup parsley, and 2 teaspoons thyme. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until lentils are tender, about 30 minutes. Using tongs, transfer ham hock to work surface. Drain lentils. Cool ham hock and lentils. Cut ham from bone; dice. Transfer ham to large bowl.

Whisk walnut oil, red wine vinegar, and Dijon mustard in small bowl to blend. Transfer lentils to large bowl with ham. Add dressing, red onion, celery, bacon, remaining 1/4 cup parsley, and remaining 2 teaspoons thyme. Toss to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve at room temperature.
im not so sure but i defently know u need to soak them for bout 5 mins it depends how u have them if u r putting them in salads then u dont need to but it would me a good idea to marinade then otherwise the dont tast great!

hope it helps!
These days we don't need to soak lentils anymore. Lentils of all colours sold in supermarket are easy to cook. All you need to do is to wash them , cook them in boiling water for about 20 minutes. Switch off the fire when they turn tender, then drain them with a sieve and leave them dry. When they turn cold you can start to mix them up for salads.
I use canned lentils, less hassle as they are already cooked!
There was never any need to soak most lentils. (It is whole peas and beans that need soaking). Just ';pick over'; lentils to make sure there are no bits of straw or little stones in (they sometimes slip through the packaging process) then put them in a sieve. Dunk the sieve up and down in a pan or bowl of cold water to ';wash'; any remaining dust off the lentils.



Tip out of sieve into pan and add enough fresh cold water to well cover the lentils. Then heat up to boiling and boil briskly for one or two minutes. Then turn down the heat to a simmering temperature until the lentils are fairly tender, but still hold their shape, even when you press between finger and thumb. The time depends on the type of lentil you are using. The green pays lentils seem to take the longest, I find but YMMV!



Turn off the heat and let them cool in the cooking liquid. Strain the lentils and leave to drip excess water out before putting in the fridge until you need them. As long as they have not gone in the least ';mushy'; and are relatively ';dry';, they will keep several days especially if kept in Tupperware-type sealed container.



I do not add salt, because I always mix them well in a good vinegar and oil dressing (adding herbs, spices, garlic, chopped onion, mustard, lemon juice, pepper, etc. to taste).
Lentils with pasta and caramelised onions



Serves 4-6







Preparation time less than 30 mins



Cooking time 10 to 30 mins













This can be eaten hot or at room temperature, like a pasta salad. The tagliatelle is usually cooked in the same water as the lentils which gives the pasta a pleasant earthy colour and flavour, but you can also boil them separately.

Ingredients

1 large onion, sliced

6-7 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

100g/3陆oz large green or brown lentils, rinsed

100g/3陆oz dry tagliatelle nests

salt and freshly ground black pepper

large handful chopped flatleaf parsley







Method

1. Fry the onion in two tablespoons of oil until brown and caramelised, stirring often. It is a good idea to start frying with the lid on - this allows it to soften more quickly.

2. Boil the lentils in plenty of water until just tender - read the instructions on the packet and watch the cooking carefully.

3. Break the tagliatelle into pieces and drop them into the pan with the lentils - there should be enough water to cover them. Add salt, stir and boil vigorously until the pasta is cooked al dente.

4. When the pasta is cooked, drain quickly, and toss gently with the remaining olive oil, a little salt and freshly ground black pepper, the fried onions and the parsley. Serve.