Our delicious Flourist French Lentils are great for soups and salads as they stay firm and hold their shape during the cooking process. They are known for their peppery flavour and their beautiful slate-blue and light green colour.
Our Flourist French Lentils can be cooked in a variety of ways and are incredibly versatile; our top cooking method is by far the 'soak and steam' method outlined below. Our French Lentils are organically grown by Dwayne Woolhouse at Crestview Organic Farms near Assiniboia, Saskatchewan, and by Will Robbins in Laura, Saskatchewan. Get more info on our farmers here.
Steaming Method
When steaming French Lentils it is important to soak them for 4-20 hours. Once soaked, drain and rinse them thoroughly. Then steam in a vegetable steamer basket for 10-15 minutes, until tender but firm. Once finished cooking, remove them from the steamer and allow them to cool slightly. Once lightly cooled toss with olive oil and salt to coat. Alternatively, add olive oil, salt, and lemon juice or wine vinegar while the lentils are hot and allow them to soak up the oil, salt and lemon juice or vinegar while hot.
Boiling Method
Boil at least 3 cups of water and add aromatics (bay leaves, onion, garlic) if desired. French Lentils cook best like pasta. Add 1 cup of French Lentils to the boiling water and simmer. Boil until cooked but firm, about 25-30 minutes. Once cooked, drain and toss with olive oil and salt to coat.
Instant Pot Method
After many trials, we don't officially recommend cooking our French Lentils in the Instant Pot. We found inconsistencies in the finished texture while trialing lentils cooked this way.
Cooking Tips
Tossing the French Lentils in olive oil prevents them from sticking together. French Lentils can take a lot of seasoning without being overly salty. Do not be afraid to toss your lentils in lots of oil or butter, salt, and or spices once cooked.
Nutritional Notes
French Lentils are an excellent source of folate, a B-Vitamin needed to make red and white blood cells in bone marrow. B-Vitamin also aids in converting carbohydrates into energy.
French Lentils also contain large amounts of fibre, protein, and potassium. In each serving, French Lentils have 13g of protein and 18g of fibre. They also form a complete vegetarian protein when eaten with rice. This makes them an excellent meat alternative. The fibre content of French Lentils not only helps to slow digestion, but also maintains a moderate rise in blood sugar levels, which helps keep inflammation at bay.
Antioxidants, selenium, and B-Vitamins are all present in French Lentils, and these are great for boosting your immune system. French Lentils also help to reduce cholesterol as they bind to bile salts in the digestive tract and carry them out of the body.
Stock up on Flourist French Lentils here, and browse our French Lentil recipes here.
Browse our entire selection of Flourist Cooking Guides here.
