These rice cooker lentils are cooked in the rice cooker and come out with a perfect texture! Easy hands off cooking, the rice cooker does all the work. Perfectly cooked and tender lentils without any burning – now this is one cooking method I swear by!
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Since we upgraded to a new fancy rice cooker, I’ve been looking for new foods to cook it in besides rice. Lentils seemed like the perfect candidate to try out – they’re small, cook quickly, and can be seasoned tons of different ways while cooking. I used the standard 2:1 water:lentil ratio and added a few bay leaves and garlic cloves to the pot… which are the same seasonings I would use if cooking on the stovetop. And guess what? They came out PERFECTLY.
These Lentils in the Rice Cooker Are:
- Firm
- Tender
- Perfectly Cooked
- Flavorful
- Great to add to soups, stews, and salads
- Made without the stove top or stirring!
- Vegan, gluten free, high protein, and SO yummy!
The Best Lentil to Water Ratio
I used the standard 2:1 water:lentil ratio and put the rice cooker on the ‘Grain’ cycle. I steamed them for about 45 minutes, and checked them about every 10 minutes towards the end so I didn’t over or under cook the lentils. This was great as I wanted to make lentils for a recipe (Lentil Shepherds Pie) but didn’t want to dirty another pot or pay much attention to them on the stovetop.
This recipe made a ton of lentils, but I fortunately had some leftover to throw into a salad later in the week! After using this recipe, I don’t think i will ever cook them any other way again.
What’s The Best Rice Cooker to Buy?
We have this fantastic Hamilton Beach rice cooker that has lasted us years and years, so I gotta say I’ve been very happy with it! It gets weekly use, and is great for cooking rice, lentils, and quinoa in the rice cooker. But I’d love to upgrade to this Zojirushi model eventually, it’s THE Cadillac of rice cookers. Our family has it, and it is one fantastic rice cooker. And it has a great feature which keeps the rice warm on the counter, so you can enjoy it all day.
What’s In These Rice Cooker Lentils?
- Green Lentils: also called French lentils or puy lentils, these small legumes hold their shape when cooked, making them a heartier and sturdier lentil than brown or red. I love the texture of green lentils.
- Bay Leaves: I always add bay leaves to every bean soup I make… it gives the soup a je ne sais quoi which is savory and delicious! When I lived in California I had laurel bay trees in my backyard, and I used to pick the dried leaves… now I buy these online 🙂
- Garlic: I use fresh garlic when I have it, and this great jarred organic garlic when I don’t have fresh. It’s actually super convenient to have pre-chopped garlic on hand for quick and easy meal prep.
- Reduced Sodium Vegetable Stock or Bouillon: I love this low sodium vegetable base for my recipes because it has a great flavor and is lower in sodium. I only develop my recipes with low sodium ingredients so the ingredients shine. You can always add salt to a recipe if it needs it, but it’s almost impossible to take it out! By starting with a low sodium broth or bouillon, you can build bright vibrant flavors and add more salt later if needed.
- Olive Oil: I like to use this fruity Zoe olive oil which has a fantastic flavor and deep color- it’s really inexpensive online here, so I keep a few liters stocked up in my pantry. For the quality of oil you get, it’s an excellent value, I would highly recommend!
Note: this will work for green, French, brown, and black lentils… but not red lentils. Red lentils have a different texture and will still fall apart when cooked in the rice cooker. I recommend to add dried red lentils directly to soups and stews.
How Do I Make Lentils in a Rice Steamer?
- Rinse lentils and pick out any small stones or sticks
- Add lentils, vegetable stock, bay leaves, and garlic to the rice cooker
- Set rice cooker to Grain mode if you have it, or on High on close lid.
- Cook for 40 minutes, and check to see if lentils are done. If they need more time, put on for another 10 minutes and check again. Repeat every 10 minutes until lentils are finished.
- Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil before serving, and enjoy!
One of the BEST Pantry Staple Proteins
This rice steamer lentils recipe is a fantastic pantry-staple meal! It uses almost all ingredients you would have in your dry pantry or cupboards – most of which you probably have on hand. Keeping a well-stocked pantry makes it easy to come up with delicious and healthy meals using a few staples you can rotate. I made a list of my Top 125 Plant-Based Pantry Staples that always keep stocked. And you can check out all my favorite pantry staple ingredients in my Amazon shop here. By stocking up on healthy whole ingredients you can cook delicious recipes without a trip to the store!
Other Vegan Lentil Recipes You’ll Love!
Lentil Ribollita Soup Recipe (Vegan, Gluten Free, Vegetarian)
Coconut Curry Lentils (Vegan, Gluten Free, Vegetarian)
Lentil Pasta Fagioli Soup (Vegan, Gluten Free, High Protein)
French Lentil Salad with Cider Vinaigrette (Vegan, Gluten Free)
Double Lentil Detox Soup (Vegan, Slow Cooker, & Gluten Free!)
Get the Same Ingredients I Use For My Rice Cooker Lentils:
As always, if you make this vegan and gluten free lentils in the rice cooker be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe, and tag me @theherbeevore on Instagram so I can feature you. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations!
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Rice Cooker Lentils (Vegan, GF)
Equipment
- Rice Cooker
Ingredients
- 2 cups lentils rinsed (green, brown, black, or French lentils will work)
- 3 bay leaves
- 3 cloves garlic peeled
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Rinse lentils and pick out any small stones or sticks
- Add lentils, water, bay leaves, and garlic to the rice cooker
- Set rice cooker to Grain mode if you have it, or on High on close lid.
- Cook for 40 minutes, and check to see if lentils are done. If they need more time, put on for another 10 minutes and check again. Repeat every 10 minutes until lentils are finished.
Nutrition
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I may earn from qualifying purchases, at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting the brands that support The Herbeevore and our beehives!