Lentils at the Table: Ideas

Green lentils are a versatile ingredient, particularly valued for their small size, quick cooking time, and excellent shape retention. 

They are ideal for a wide range of food industry applications including :
ready-to-eat soups, legume salads, chilled side dishes, plant-based burgers and meatballs, fillings for fresh pasta and ready-to-eat products, cereal and legume blends, extruded snacks, and high-protein plant-based products. 

Processing Performance In industrial processing : green lentils provide high yield and reliable technical performance. They require little or no soaking, cook quickly and evenly, retain their shape even after prolonged heat treatment, maintain a firm texture without breaking down, and ensure excellent product consistency in continuous production processes. Their small size also contributes to high efficiency in industrial processing lines. 

Recommended Pairings for R&D : For new product development, green lentils pair particularly well with: 
- Cereals: rice, spelt, barley, oats, and durum wheat (for soups, salads, complete meals, and side dishes). 
- Pseudocereals: quinoa, buckwheat, and amaranth (for gluten-free products, bowls, and high-protein recipes). 
- Other legumes: chickpeas, peas, and beans (for protein blends, plant-based burgers, soups, and ready meals). 
- Vegetables: pumpkin, carrots, tomatoes, spinach, kale, and peppers (for ready meals, veloutés, and fillings). 
- Herbs and spices: turmeric, cumin, smoked paprika, rosemary, thyme, and bay leaves.