Lentil Sprouts: How to Grow, Eat and Store
Growing lentil sprouts is a great way to increase the nutritional benefits and digestibility of this healthy legume. Learn how to sprout lentils at home easily and affordably.
What is the difference between lentils and sprouted lentils?
Regular non-sprouted lentils cannot be eaten raw and need to be cooked longer in order to be edible. Depending on the type of lentil you’re cooking, it can take anywhere from 15-30 minutes. Regular lentils have a hearty thick bean-like texture and a rich flavor.
Sprouted lentils have gone through a process of germination where each lentil pod has grown a small thread-like sprout as a result of a humid environment. Going through this process breaks down certain compounds in the lentil and makes it easier to digest, thereby making it appropriate to eat raw. Sprouting lentils also changes the texture and flavor of the legume. It becomes more crunchy, lighter and earthier.
Lentil sprout health benefits
Are lentil sprouts good for you? The short answer is yes!
- Sprouting lentils increases the nutrient content. One recent study found that sprouted lentils had significantly higher protein, calcium and potassium content.
- Sprouted lentils are high in antioxidants called phenolic compounds that support health.
- Sprouting legumes has been shown to reduce phytic acid which makes them easier to digest.
- Lentil sprouts contain vitamin c, iron and folate.
Are sprouted lentils safe to eat?
Although there is a fair amount of talk about illness caused by sprouts, lentil sprouts are actually quite safe to eat especially when you make it yourself at home barring any kind of user error (which I will help to walk you through in the recipe below!)..
There have been several cases of salmonella and e.coli from large scale commercial operation seed sprouts according to the CDC. Growing sprouts on a large commercial scale makes it very difficult to contain pathogens since a warm and humid environment is necessary to grow them and this is the exact environment that bacteria like this can accumulate.
However, doing small scale sprouting at home is usually pretty safe. You have a very small chance of contracting some sort of pathogen since you have control over the one or two jars and their cleanliness. I’ve sprouted tons of times and never had an issue.
One basic rule of thumb is if it looks or smells off, throw it out.
Do lentil sprouts need to be cooked?
Sprouted lentils do not need to be cooked. They can be eaten raw, but you can cook them for a different texture and flavor. They take less time to cook than regular lentils.
Raw lentil sprouts are great in salads, veggie bowls or as a crunchy topping on tacos or avocado toast. Cooked sprouted lentils are great in soup or along with a veggie stir fry.
Are sprouted lentils a complete protein?
Normally, regular lentils are not a complete protein, but since sprouting lentils increases the nutrient value, the process actually turns them into a complete protein!
Where to buy sprouted lentils
Although I will teach you how to make your own sprouted lentils easily and affordably in the recipe below, I know some people simply don’t have the time to devote to it and would rather buy sprouted lentils to get all the nutrient benefits.
You can buy sprouted lentils online or at health food stores, but usually these ones are dried to the point to prevent pathogens so that they do need to be cooked before eating.
Homemade lentil sprouts on the other hand can be eaten raw. You may be able to find sprouted lentils that can be eaten raw at local farmer’s markets.
How to store lentil sprouts
Once you have finished following the recipe below to sprout lentils, you’ll want to make sure you store them in a dry container in the refrigerator. Although a humid environment is key to growing lentil sprouts, once they are done sprouting they need to be cool and dry to keep from going bad.
In order to ensure that the lentil sprouts stay dry, I dry them out on the counter on a paper towel right after they’re done sprouting. Then when I’m putting them in the fridge, I line a tupperware container with paper towels and fill it with the lentils, then I include a paper towel on top to help it stay dry and fresh.
How to eat sprouted lentils
The great thing about sprouted lentils is that they can be eaten raw or cooked. Whether they are red lentils, green, brown or french lentils, they can all be used similarly. The flavor and texture may vary a little between lentil types, so experiment and see what you like!
In their raw form, lentil sprouts have a light crunchy texture and earthy flavor. When cooked they are a little heartier but still lighter than regular lentils. Below are a few ways to eat sprouted lentils…
Ways to eat raw sprouted lentils:
- In salads
- On avocado toast
- In sandwiches
- In veggie bowls
- On tacos
Ways to eat cooked sprouted lentils:
- Lentil burgers
- Soup
- Veggie stir frys
- Chili
- Indian daal
- In frittatas or scrambles
- In stuffing
- In shepherd’s pie
How to store sprouted lentils
Once you’ve sprouted your lentils, it’s best to store them in the refrigerator in a dry space. Although lentils need warmth and moisture to germinate and sprout, once they are done sprouting they need to be cool and dry to avoid growing mold or going bad.
After you’ve dried them out on the counter once you’re done sprouting them it’s best to store them in a sealed container lined with paper towels in the refrigerator.
Tips on growing lentil sprouts
- It’s best to use a 32 oz. wide mouth mason jar because the lentils need room to expand after soaking and room to breath as they sprout so they don’t become too moist. This recipe calls for 1/2 cup of lentils and they will expand to almost fill up the whole jar once they are sprouted. If you want to double the recipe, use 2 jars so the lentils have enough room to expand.
- You’ll need a lid that allows the lentils to get air in the jar while they are sprouting. You can either use a sprouting lid or cheesecloth. You can get sprouting lids online, at health food stores and sometimes even hardware or gardening stores. Cheesecloth is available online or at target, walmart or kitchen supply stores like sur la table.
- You can use any kinds of lentils including red lentils, green, brown or french lentils. The process for sprouting them will be the same for any kind of lentil. The only thing that may vary is the time it takes for sprouts to form.
- The recipe below uses 1/2 cup of lentils and will result in about 3-4 cups of sprouted lentils.
Why aren’t my lentils sprouting?
Have you followed all the standard sprouting directions and your lentils still aren’t sprouting? Below are a few trouble shooting tips that may help you figure out why your lentils aren’t growing sprouts…
- Occasionally some companies irradiate their lentils in order to keep pathogens from growing and this may keep your lentils from sprouting. If this happens to you, try a different brand or order lentil seeds that are made for sprouting. Personally, store-bought lentils usually work fine for me, but it is possible that irradiation may be a reason some are not sprouting.
- It’s possible that your house is too cold and not providing a warm humid environment for the lentil sprouts to grow. If it’s winter time or if your lentils are sitting in a cold are of the home, try moving it to a warmer spot near the heater or near the oven.
- Your lentils are too old. Sometimes if you’ve had a bag of lentils sitting in your pantry for a number of years and you’ve just decided to try to sprout them, they may have simply gone bad and don’t have it in them to sprout! The same can go for some lentils bought from a bulk bin at a store…if they’re not very fresh, this can hinder them from sprouting.
- You soaked them for too long or not long enough. Generally you want to soak the lentils for about 8 hours, give or take a couple hours. However, sometimes people leave them overnight and forget about them and they soak too long and won’t sprout. ON the other hand if you put too little water in the jar or only soaked them a few hours short of 8 hours, they may have not had enough time to soak.
- You didn’t rinse them enough during the germination period. Sometimes this can contribute to moldy sprouts or lentil sprouts that have gone bad as well. Rinsing them at least twice a day helps keep them fresh.
How to sprout lentils
All you need to start sprouting lentils are the lentils themselves, a mason jar and a sprouting lid or cheesecloth. You want to make sure the lentils have enough room to expand in the jar, so if you want to double the recipe, use 2 jars instead of adding more lentils to the same jar.
Start by adding 1/2 cup of lentils to the mason jar and rinse them with water, removing any stones. You can rinse them by putting in water then putting the sprouting lid on the jar and draining the water out through the lid. After rinsing the lentils, cover them completely with water and be sure that there is 1-2 inches of water over the lentils. Let the lentils soak in the water for about 8 hours. You can leave them overnight if you’d like.
Once the lentils have soaked for about 8 hours, drain the water from the jar. Place the jar at an angle upside down so that the sprouting lid is at the bottom. You can place the jar against the wall over a bowl to catch any excess water or you can use a specially made sprouting stand.
You’ll want to rinse and drain the lentils with water 2-3 times a day to keep it fresh. They’ll need to sit out for a total of about 2-3 days to fully sprout. You’ll start to notice little thread-like tails coming out of the lentils.
Once they are at the length you want (usually 1/2 – 2 inches long), rinse and drain them once more. Then you can remove the lentils from the jar and place them evenly spread out onto paper towels or a clean dish cloth for about 1 hour to dry them. Drying them helps to keep them from going bad.
Once they are dry, store the in the refrigerator. Extra moisture can make them go bad faster, so it’s best to store them in a container lined with a paper towel. They will last about 5-7 days in the refrigerator, but don’t forget to do the sight/sniff test. If you notice any mold or smell anything off, it’s time to throw them out!
