To stock up on pulses for cooking, start with lentils, chickpeas, split peas or dried beans with verifiable organic certification. If you’re often short on time, add ready-cooked or heat-and-serve products, checking their ingredients, allergen information and storage instructions after opening.
You want to keep several varieties of organic dried pulses in your cupboard and make your own salads, soups or side dishes. Dried pulses in bags are a good choice if you can plan ahead for cooking time.
You’d rather open a jar of ready-cooked pulses or heat a pouch than start with a dried product. Ingredients and storage instructions after opening therefore become important factors in your choice.
You’re looking for a short ingredients list or keeping track of salt, allergens and possible traces. Check the label for each product, even when it carries organic certification.
When stocking your cupboard, first distinguish dried pulses that need cooking from products that are ready to eat. Check the organic certification and then the ingredients for the specific product, whatever its format.
Choose these if: you want to stock up on lentils, chickpeas, split peas or beans to cook for your recipes.
Bear in mind: they take time to prepare, and soaking or cooking times vary between pulses.
Choose these if: you want to add ready-cooked pulses to a salad, soup or side dish.
Check: recipes and storage instructions after opening vary from product to product.
Choose these if: your priority is a quick meal or side dish that’s ready to heat.
Check: these recipes may combine pulses, grains and other ingredients; they’re not a substitute for a bag of plain dried pulses.
| What to consider | What to check | Who it’s for |
|---|---|---|
| Organic certification | Look for the EU organic logo or the AB mark, and check the product description. The French Ministry of Agriculture notes that organic farming is governed by European regulations. | If I’m looking for organic dried pulses, I want to be able to identify this feature before choosing a format. Around 30% of consumers put it top of their list. |
| Ingredients to cook | Choose varieties to suit your recipes and check the net weight and preparation instructions. | When stocking my cupboard, I’d rather have several dried pulses to cook than just one ready-made recipe. This is the top priority for around 30% of consumers. |
| Quick to prepare | Tell ready-cooked pulses apart from prepared meals, then check how to prepare them. | When I have little time to prepare a meal, I choose a product that’s already cooked or quick to heat. Speed is the priority for around 20% of consumers. |
| Ingredients | Check the ingredients, nutritional information, salt per 100 g, allergens and any precautionary ‘may contain’ statements. | If I need to avoid an ingredient or want to keep an eye on seasoning, I can’t rely on the word ‘organic’ alone. Around 20% of consumers put ingredients first. |
A single-ingredient dried pulse, a jar and a prepared meal can all carry organic certification without having the same ingredients. Some recipes contain grains, salt or allergens, for example.
Check the ingredients list and allergen and trace information on every pack.
Dried pulses in a bag still need preparing, while a jar contains ready-cooked pulses. The stated weight and the time needed before a meal therefore relate to different uses.
First decide whether you want ingredients to cook or something quick to prepare, then compare products in similar formats.
An opened ready-to-use product won’t keep in the same way as an unopened pack in the cupboard.
Choose pack sizes that suit the quantities you use, and follow the manufacturer’s instructions for refrigeration and use.
A container opened in too large a quantity may not be fully used within the stated time.
The Carrefour Bio range includes dried pulses for cooking at home, including green lentils.
Bio Village, an E.Leclerc brand, offers organic pulses in bags, including lentils.
The Auchan Bio range includes dried green and red lentils.
Goldensun is a brand in Lidl’s range of organic dried pulses.
Bjorg offers an organic quinoa and chickpea dish designed for quick preparation.
BIO® is ALDI’s organic range, covering a variety of food categories.
This Joybuy selection features dried green lentils in a bag, ready to prepare for easy cupboard meals.
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A handy way to stock up on green lentils to cook, rather than choosing a ready-made product.
500 g bag. Check the organic certification on the pack before buying.
Look for organic certification, such as the EU organic logo or the AB mark, then check the product description and ingredients. The French Ministry of Agriculture explains that organic farming is governed by European regulations. This certification alone doesn’t tell you about seasoning or allergens.
Yes, if you mainly want ready-cooked pulses for a quick meal. For a cupboard stocked with ingredients to cook, dried pulses in a bag serve a different purpose. For jars, check the ingredients, salt, drained weight and storage instructions after opening.
Read the label for every product, including any precautionary ‘may contain’ statements. Auchan lists D’Aucy organic chickpeas with no added salt, while the listing for a Jardin BiO étic lentil and chickpea pouch mentions sesame and possible traces of soya. Organic certification doesn’t remove the need to check the recipe you choose.
Follow the instructions on the pack and refrigerate it if required. Auchan’s listing for the Jardin BiO étic pouch says to keep it chilled and consume it within two days of opening. Don’t assume the same time limit applies to other products.