For Christmas Eve, choose dried pulses if you can prepare the meal in advance and want to adjust the quantities or seasoning. Tinned, jarred and ready-to-use options are better suited to putting a dish together on the day. Before choosing a recipe, compare the portions, ingredients and instructions on the packaging.
If you’re making a salad, side dish or plant-based main in advance, compare dried options by the quantity you need, the variety and the preparation time. Some 500 g packs of Auchan green lentils show how many portions they make, so check the pack you choose.
If you want to put together a salad quickly or add something to a dish, pulses that are already cooked and sold in tins, jars or pouches save you cooking them from scratch. The ingredients and portion size can still vary between products, so compare the labels.
Lentils, beans, chickpeas, split peas and broad beans can all feature in soups, purées or salads, as Manger Bouger notes. Choose a variety to suit your recipe, and check the ingredients in any prepared product.
Choose these if : you can cook in advance of Christmas Eve and want to adjust the recipe yourself.
Bear in mind : cooking takes time, and some varieties also need soaking.
Choose these if : you want to add pulses that are already cooked to a salad or side dish on the day.
Compare the labels : a plain product and a prepared recipe may have different ingredients.
Choose these if : you want to put together a hot or cold dish quickly. Bjorg, for example, offers ready-to-use legume pouches.
Bear in mind : a prepared recipe gives you less choice over the ingredients than plain dried pulses.
For your Christmas meal, choose between these formats based on what matters most to you : planning the cooking, spending less time preparing food on the day or finding a place for pulses on the menu.
| Criteria | What to check | Who is it for? |
|---|---|---|
| Quantity and preparation | Net weight, stated portions and how much time to allow for cooking. | If I’m serving several guests, I want to make sure there’s enough salad or a large enough side dish, and be able to cook it before the meal. Around 36 % of consumers would prioritise this kind of planning. |
| Time on the day | Whether the product is already cooked, its ingredients and any reheating instructions. | If the kitchen is already busy with other dishes, I want something I can assemble without cooking dried pulses from scratch. Speed would come first for around 36 % of consumers. |
| Its place on the menu | A variety to suit soup, purée or salad ; ingredients and allergens in a prepared recipe. | If I’m planning a plant-based option, I want a variety and ingredients to suit the recipe and my guests. This would be the top priority for around 28 % of consumers. |
Two products that are already cooked can contain different ingredients. You can’t compare their seasoning or nutritional values based on the name of the pulse alone.
To stay in control of the seasoning, check the product name and ingredients list, then choose a plain option if it suits your recipe.
A pack of dried pulses can be a good choice when you’re cooking a large quantity, but it takes more planning than using a product that’s already cooked.
Decide when you’ll have time to cook, then check the cooking and soaking instructions for your chosen variety.
Product ranges can vary by shop or collection method, and a limited-time offer doesn’t guarantee the product will be there when you shop.
Before planning your menu around it, check the product, pack size and availability at the shop or through the service you intend to use.
The Directorate-General for Competition Policy, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control distinguishes between a use-by date, which must not be exceeded, and a best-before date, which has a different significance when the packaging is intact.
Read the type of date printed on the pack, check the packaging is in good condition and follow the product’s storage instructions.
A retailer where you can compare dried pulses and ready-cooked options, depending on the shop and product range.
A range to explore if you’re looking for organic dried pulses to cook.
A brand to explore for legume pouches that you can add to a hot or cold meal.
These products let you compare chickpeas for a quick meal with several dried pulses that you can cook in advance. To choose between them, start with your recipe and how much time you have before serving.
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Worth considering for a salad or side dish you can put together on Christmas Eve.
Pack size shown : 820 gr. Check the ingredients and the lupin warning on the packaging, particularly if one of your guests has an allergy.
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For a salad or side dish that you can cook in advance.
500 g pack. Allow for the stated cooking time of 20 to 25 minutes, and check the label for possible traces of gluten if this is relevant to your guests.
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Worth considering for soup, a stew or a salad prepared ahead of Christmas Eve.
500 g pack. Check the rinsing and cooking instructions on the packaging before planning when to prepare them.
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A pack size to consider if you’re making a large batch of soup or stew and can cook in advance.
2 kg pack. Check the packaging for cooking instructions, nutritional values and warnings about possible traces of gluten and nuts.
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For soup, a stew or a salad that you can start preparing before the day of the meal.
900 g pack. The instructions recommend soaking overnight, followed by 45 to 60 minutes of cooking, so allow for this in your plans.
A use-by date must not be exceeded. A best-before date that has passed has a different significance if the packaging is intact, according to the Directorate-General for Competition Policy, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control. Check the date printed on the product, the condition of the packaging and the storage instructions.
For pre-packed dried pulses, start by comparing the product name, ingredients list, net quantity and nutritional information. The Directorate-General for Competition Policy, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control says these details, along with the applicable date, are among the labelling information required for pre-packed food. They can help you tell a plain product from a prepared recipe.
Lentils, beans, chickpeas, split peas and broad beans are all worth considering, depending on the recipe. Manger Bouger lists soups, purées and salads among the ways to use them : choose a variety and format to suit the texture you want and the time you have available.
Yes. The French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (Anses) lists legumes among the dried foods sold loose. Check the information available in store to choose a variety, and have a clean container ready to store them at home.