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With spring finally bringing in warmer temperatures, our body is ready to shift towards lighter foods. This lentil salad is the perfect transition as it will keep you full and energized without weighing you down. Lentils are part of the legume family and contain a cornucopia of beneficial nutrients while being low in calories. One cup of cooked lentils contains 18 grams of protein. They are also a good source of folate, iron, magnesium, and zinc. This recipe is very simple and quick to prepare, making it a great weekday meal that will keep you full and energized for hours.
Tip: Vinaigrette can be prepared ahead of time. This salad can also be served in a tortilla, or pita bread.
Reviews:
COOK TIME 40 minutes
Course Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine Mediterranean
Serving 5 people, 8 people
Ingredients:
| 1. | 2 cups (1 lb.) French Green lentils (or use Trader Joe’s prepared steamed lentils) |
| 2. | 1/2 medium red onion, diced |
| 3. | 1 cup dried currants (you could also use raisins or dried cranberry’s) |
| 4. | 1 red or yellow bell pepper (or ½ of each) diced |
| 5. | 1 carrot, shredded |
| 6. | ½ cup walnuts, chopped |
| 7. | Handful cilantro, chopped (could use basil or flat leaf parsley) |
| 8. | ½ cup goat cheese or Feta cheese (optional) |
Vinaigrette: (Don’t let the number of spices discourage you, as it is easy & delish)
| 1. | 1/3 cup cold pressed, extra virgin olive oil |
| 2. | ¼ cup apple cider vinegar (Braggs) |
| 3. | 1 Tbsp. organic maple syrup |
| 4. | 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard |
| 5. | 1 tsp. salt |
| 6. | 1 tsp. pepper |
| 7. | 1 tsp. ground cumin |
| 8. | ½ tsp. turmeric |
| 9. | ½ tsp. ground coriander |
| 10. | ½ tsp ground cardamom |
| 11. | 1/8 to ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper |
| 12. | /8 tsp. ground cloves or allspice |
| 13. | ¼ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg |
| 14. | ¼ tsp. ground cinnamon |
Directions:
Cooking the Lentils.
Rinse lentils well, drain. Place in a pot and cover with 3-4 inches of water, bring to a boil, reduce to simmer. Check lentils to see if they’re done after 15 minutes, but they should take about 20 minutes in total. You will know they are cooked if they still retain a slight tooth – al dente. Overcooking the lentils is the death of this dish…so be careful!
Prepare Vinaigrette.
While the lentils are simmering, prepare the vinaigrette by adding all ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake vigorously to combine.
Dicing Extra Ingredients.
Finely dice red onion – the salad is best if all the ingredients are about the same size. If using raisins, chop them roughly to make them a bit smaller, and do the same with the bell pepper. Shred carrot and chop walnuts and cilantro.
Final Prep.
When the lentils are cooked, remove from heat, drain and place under cold running water to stop the cooking process. Once cooled slightly, but still a little warm, place lentils in a large serving bowl and toss with dressing.
Add onion, peppers, currants, shredded carrot, chopped walnuts, cilantro, or parsley.
*Optional add-ins: Arugula, 1-2 oz of goat or feta cheese, sprouts.
Toss add-ins to the lentil mixture just before serving.
Otherwise, this salad can hang out in the fridge for a couple of days.
Serving Suggestions.
Serve as a side dish, or with pita bread and hummus. Yum!
Tried this recipe?
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