AIBU to ask WTF I'm supposed to do with lentils???

[ImNotChangingMyUsernameAgain]

Ok, so it's not like they were forced on me unwittingly. I bought them when I thought fresh food might become scarce after being persuaded on some of the prepper threads. Now that I have them what should I do to them to turn them into something my family might eat?

What kind of lentils?

Ours mostly go into soup or pasta sauce type meals

I always add a small handful to soup. I think jamie Oliver suggested it. Adds protein and a creamy texture assuming you blend the soup at the end.

Dahl and rice ?

I make lentil soups and curries mainly.

Curried red lentil soup is our Tuesday dinner with homemade chapatis. 2 vegetarian get protein and the other two love it as do we.
Started as we realised we were eating crsp all the time and wanted to budget and now its must have!

What kind of lentils? Red lentils is an entirely different question to puy lentils or black lentils.

Dal if you like curry, soup, green puy lentils are good in a salad. As mysteryfrog says we need to know the type of lentil.

@disconnecteddrifter that sounds delicious, could you share the recipe please ?

Red lentils?
Lentil soup.

Rinse them well, lightly fry some chopped onions with a bit of fresh pepper, then chuck chopped carrots and swede in the pan with the lentils and plenty of ham stock. (Or veg stock).
If you wanna get fancy, you could make it with some boiled gammon too. Mixed herbs as well if you like.
Keep it cooking and then add some chopped leek near the end.

Simple as hell but delicious and you can mess with the recipe as much as you like. I like a few dried chilli flakes or a little smoked paprika in mine.

Lentil stew made with onion, sweet potato, butternut squash, carrots, tin of tomatoes, basically any veg you've got. Nice with crusty bread.

If they are puy lentils we eat a lot of meals like this:

www.itv.com/thismorning/food/one-pot-mediterranean-cod-dr-rupy-aujla

If they are Puy lentils (green) cook with onion garlic & tomatoes in a sausage casserole. Or cook with onion garlic stock and chopped bacon and serve alongside boiled ham, pork chops, or roast pork.

Soup

Curry, spaghetti bol, stew, chilli, any kind of saucy thing really, just throw them in and let them cook like rice in the sauce.

Lentil and bacon soup. Use smoked bacon.

I've done this a couple of times: www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/spiced-carrot-lentil-soup

I love lentils. I always chuck a handful of red ones in curries, bolognaise or chilli.

I am actually laughing out loud here! Why on earth did you join the panic buying brigade and buy something you don't even know how to cook or use just because... Sheesh, no wonder there was panic buying. Bloody shame for all the lentil users who use them on a regular basis but could not get hold of any because of panic buyers...

No idea what type. I will check in the morning and come back to this thread for ideas. Dal or soup both sound good.

Oh good point @BelfryBat. I forgot about the smoked bacon in lentil soup. Better than any gammon. I fry mine up really crispy and finely chop it for the soup.

Glad I've given you a laugh Red. I was looking to add a bit of variety to my cooking. They won't go to waste. Slinks off in disgrace....

Are the small and red or large and green?

Just Google a recipe?

Red lentils nice in a soup. More robust ones deoend on the cuisine they mostly belong to.

I live off something a little like what @NeverTrustASmilingCat linked to. But without milk and starting with cumin and chilli and stirring spinach and/ or coriander into it at the end.
I’m not joking. My grocery bills have gone from £10/week to £100++ now DH and DC are home for lockdown

No you weren't trying to add variety to your cooking. If you have never used them, how the hell were they going to improve your way of life?

Be real, be honest.