These Crispy Lentils Ship the Savory, Earthy Crunch Each Salad Wants

Do your salads get boring? Begging for extra taste, perhaps some crunch? I’ve the perfect repair: tiny, transformative, crispy fried lentils. They ship an earthy, savory crunch to salads, grain bowls, soups, and sides, they usually make a advantageous snack, too. Better of all, they’re easy to make and can maintain for as much as per week in your countertop.

This concept comes from former Washington Submit columnist Joe Yonan, who wrote in regards to the approach—impressed by Mollie Katzen’s 2013 cookbook The Coronary heart of the Plate—in 2014. To make them, I observe the identical approach that Yonan requires in his column: First soak and dry the lentils, earlier than crisping them up. Then I both fry them on the stovetop or roast them within the oven. Beneath, I define precisely how you can make wonderful fried lentils at house. 

The Greatest Lentils to Use

Inexperienced, also called French or Puy and black (“beluga”) lentils, work superbly. Fundamental brown lentils, whereas barely bigger and fewer delicate, are a stable various if that’s what you’ve got readily available, however they do not get fairly as crunchy. It is best to keep away from utilizing pink or yellow lentils, as they’re too smooth to carry their form and develop into crunchy.

Fry or Roast Lentils

Plan Forward

Soak your lentils for 1 to 24 hours (the countertop is ok for an hour or two; for longer than that, I shift to the fridge). After a minimum of an hour, drain, rinse, and pat very dry with paper towels or a clear kitchen towel. Quick on time? Boil for 20 minutes, drain, rinse with chilly water, and pat dry. The consequence will nonetheless be crispy, however with a barely starchier floor.

Cooking the Lentils

For a half cup of dried lentils, you may want about three tablespoons of impartial oil, corresponding to safflower, canola, vegetable, or grapeseed oil, for frying. Frying is easy—however a couple of ideas will assist stop sogginess or overcooking: 

1. Warmth the oil over medium to medium-high till it simply shimmers. Check by dropping a single lentil into the pan—if it sizzles on contact, the oil is prepared for frying; if not, wait one other 10 to fifteen seconds and take a look at once more. 
2. Whereas cooking, modify the warmth ranges as wanted to keep up a constant warmth. Fry the lentils for about seven minutes, stirring sometimes, till crisp. 
3. Switch to a paper towel–lined plate to soak up any extra oil. 
4. Unfold in a single layer, and season instantly with salt or the spices of your selection, corresponding to smoked paprika, cumin, curry powder, dried herbs, or pink pepper flakes.

In case you’re extra of an oven particular person, nice information: you’ll be able to roast soaked or cooked lentils at 425°F (220°C) and get outcomes almost an identical to frying. Toss the patted-dry lentils with a couple of tablespoons of oil and a little bit of salt, unfold in a single layer on a rimmed quarter-sheet pan, and roast till crispy, about 10 minutes. Switch to a paper towel-lined plate to soak up extra oil, then season.

Make-Forward and Storage

As soon as cooled, crispy lentils will maintain in a sealed container at room temperature for as much as per week—although truthfully, they hardly ever final that lengthy. Sprinkle them on all of the dishes you already love for an additional layer of crunchy, earthy savoriness. You could possibly additionally simply eat them by the handful. When you’ve tried this trick, you’ll end up all the time in search of excuses to fry—or roast—lentils.

September 2025