Lentils

Green, brown, red, or French (du Puy). Rinse them and pick through for tiny stones before cooking; every bag has a few. Buy from a store with decent turnover because lentils older than a year cook unevenly and stay chalky no matter how long they simmer. Dry lentils keep about a year in an airtight container in a cool, dark cupboard. Cooked lentils hold 5–7 days in the fridge and freeze well in their liquid for up to 3 months. Du Puy lentils cost twice as much as brown and for salads they're worth every penny.

Lentils are the fastest legume in the pantry: no soaking, no planning ahead, dinner-ready in as little as 12 minutes. The trick is matching the type to the job. Red lentils break down into a creamy base in 12–15 minutes (that's what you want for dal and soup), while green and French du Puy lentils hold their shape for salads and bowls at 20–30 minutes. Whatever the type, use a lazy simmer, not a rolling boil and hold the salt until the end or the skins toughen. Red lentils are my weeknight cheat code when dinner needs to happen in 20 minutes flat. Times and water ratios for every variety are below.