Black lentil

Vicia lens

legume

Small, shiny black lentils, almost round, that hold their shape when cooked; in salads or as a side. They provide protein, fibre, folate, iron, and anthocyanins in their black skin.

Origin

Canada and India

Season (United States)

all year round · grows in your region

Preparation

Rinsed, without soaking, they cook in 20 to 25 minutes and stay whole; eaten cooked, warm in salads or as a side, never raw. Soaking, sprouting or sourdough bring its phytates down — and release the zinc and iron they were holding.

Molecules

Resistant starch RS1 · GOS (galacto-oligosaccharides) · Anthocyanins · Folates (B9) · Plant iron · Protein · LysineWhat slows things down Phytates

Did you know?

“Beluga” is the trade name of the Indianhead cultivar, selected in Canada at the Indian Head research station; it is one of the smallest lentils.