Great Value Red Lentils, 1 lb

I have had regular lentils and was not impressed. A friend gave me black lentils but they have a strange taste - made me think of squid ink. haha I decided to research lentils recently and found there were way more varieties than I realized. Research told me the red lentils are milder, earthy, nutty and a little sweet, so I had to give it one more try. I ordered Great Value red lentils and I actually like them! I am going to be adding GV red lentils to my meal rotation!

Lentil soup is probably my family's favorite easy, healthy dinner, and these Great Value red lentils are wonderful. They're always fresh and don't have a lot of "dust" in the bag like some legumes/pulses develop when they've been on the shelf for awhile. I generally start with some hot avocado oil and a double-handful of chopped onion, celery, fresh pepper, and garlic. After those things have softened up, I increase the heat to high, add about 2 quarts of water, a couple of those big Knorr bouillon cubes (chicken, tomato with chicken, or beef), a pod of dried cayenne pepper, and a big sprinkle of black pepper, and when the water comes to a rolling boil, I add my lentils. I stir the boiling pot for about a minute then decrease the heat to low-medium, cover, and let them simmer, stirring regularly to keep them from sticking together and adding water as needed to keep them from getting too dense. Once the lentils are tender, I remove the pod of hot pepper and use my immersion/stick blender to blend the soup to a smooth, creamy consistency. It's incredibly delicious and super-healthy with loads of protein, fiber, and some other important nutrients. Season them any way you like, and note: lentils make a great bean dip/hummus-like snack to eat with chips or toasted pita bread!!