One of humanity's oldest cultivated plants — small lens-shaped legume seeds that cook quickly without soaking, providing exceptional plant protein; the foundation of Indian dal, French lentilles du Puy, and Middle Eastern mujaddara.
The Lens connection
The word “lens” (the optical lens used in glasses and microscopes) is named after the lentil — Lens culinaris — because the shape of a biconvex optical lens resembles the lentil seed. The lentil came first; the physics instrument was named after the food.
No soaking required
Unlike dried beans (kidney, black, navy), lentils do not require overnight soaking before cooking. Red lentils cook in 15–20 minutes; green and brown lentils in 25–35 minutes; black and Puy lentils in 30–40 minutes. This makes them the fastest-cooking protein-dense legume.
Lentilles du Puy
French lentilles vertes du Puy from the Auvergne region hold a PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) — only lentils grown in the specific volcanic soil around Le Puy-en-Velay can use the name. The volcanic basalt and cool climate produce lentils with an unusually thin skin, peppery flavour, and firm texture that holds up to cooking without becoming mushy.
Mujaddara
Among the oldest recorded lentil dishes: mujaddara (Arabic: “pitted” — referring to the dimpled appearance of cooked lentils) combines cooked lentils with rice or bulgur, topped with a mountain of deeply caramelised crispy fried onions. It is mentioned in 13th-century Arabic cookbooks and is a staple across Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Egypt.
Find more vegetables by letter
Lentil starts with L . Browse other vegetables along the same letter.
Vegetables that contain a letter from "Lentil":