Brown lentils make a great base for soups, stews, or as an accompaniment to meals. Lentils are a hardy annual; they are a member of the pea family. Lentils grow on sparsely branched vines from 45 to 60cm tall. The lentil has small whitish to light purple pea-like flowers.

Pods are small, broad, flat and contain one or two flat, a lens-shaped seed that is green or yellow to orange, red or brown. Lentils flower from the lower branches up until harvest. Each flower produces a short pod that contains two seeds. Plant 4 to 8 lentils per household member. Lentils will germinate best between 20 and 30 degrees.