Mes Notes · This or That? · July 2026
Red, Green or Black Lentils?
We call them all lentils — but in the kitchen and nutritionally, they're quite different.
Red Lentils
Fastest, softest, essential for soup
Best for
Perfect for soups and patties — they dissolve completely when cooked, creating a thick, creamy texture. No soaking needed, fastest of the three. Also the easiest to digest.
Green Lentils
Holds its shape, protein and fibre champion
Best for
Holds its shape beautifully in salads, warm bowls, and vegetable dishes. Among the richest in protein and fibre. High in iron — pair with vitamin C to boost absorption.
Black Lentils
Antioxidant powerhouse, elegant on the plate
Best for
Highest antioxidant content of the three — the dark colour comes from anthocyanins. Stays firm when cooked; excellent as a salad base or side dish. Also called beluga lentils.
Verdict
For speed, red (no soaking, ready in 20 minutes). For protein and fibre, green or black. If you want the antioxidant bonus, make room for black lentils in your weekly rotation. Keep all three in the cupboard — one melts into soup, the others hold their shape on the plate.
Red, green, black. Lentils are one of the best sources of plant protein — cheap and easy to cook — but they're not all interchangeable depending on the recipe. Some melt into a purée, others hold their shape perfectly. Picking the right one is already half of getting the dish right. Here's how, with rough values per 100 g cooked.
Red lentils: the fastest
Red lentils (also called coral lentils) give around 7.6 g of protein per 100 g cooked and cook very fast, in 15 to 20 minutes, with no soaking. Their quirk: they break down while cooking and turn almost into a purée. That's a flaw for a salad, but an asset for soups, dals and velvety blends, giving them a lovely creamy texture.
Best for
Soups, dals, purées, slow-cooked dishes. They're also the lentils behind the famous Turkish soup, mercimek çorbası.
Green lentils: perfect hold
Green lentils give around 9 g of protein and 8 g of fibre per 100 g cooked. Richer in fibre than red lentils, they have one especially precious quality: they hold up very well to cooking and keep their shape. That's what makes them the everyday lentil par excellence — the one that doesn't turn to mush.
Best for
Salads, side dishes, meal prep, anything that needs lentils to stay whole.
Black lentils: rich and elegant
Black lentils (or beluga, since they look like caviar) give around 9 g of protein and are particularly rich in iron, around 3.3 mg per 100 g cooked. They hold up perfectly to cooking, like green lentils. Their extra edge: their deep colour and refined look on the plate.
Best for
Dishes you want to make look beautiful, elegant salads, complete plates where iron matters.
So, which one to choose?
red lentils — a soup, a dal or a purée
green lentils — a salad or a dish that needs to hold
black lentils — an elegant plate and a good iron boost
One thing they all share that makes them precious: they're affordable plant protein, rich in fibre and iron, and they keep you full for a long time. A real staple to always keep in the cupboard.
Want to cook with them? Red lentils are perfect for baked lentil patties köfte-style and for a dough-free take on Turkish manti, while green and black lentils shine in a hearty salad.