This is a print preview of "Lentil salad" recipe.

Lentil salad Recipe
by Kristine Avila

Lentil salad

I recently tried a lentil salad at La Bicyclette in Carmel and thoroughly enjoyed it and wanted to find a similar recipe. I found one on "My New Roots" and made some adjustments and it was a big hit!

Rating: 5/5
Avg. 5/5 1 vote
Prep time: Middle eastern
Cook time: Servings: 4

Goes Well With: Grilled shrimp

Ingredients

  • 2 ¼ cups (1 lb.) lentils
  • 1 medium red onion, diced
  • 1/3 cup capers
  • 1/2 cup diced cucumber
  • 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
  • 3 tbsp toasted pine nuts or walnuts
  • 4-8 oz feta or goat cheese
  • Vinaigrette:
  • 1/3 cup cold pressed, extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp. maple syrup
  • 1 Tbsp. dijon mustard
  • 2 tsp. salt
  • 2 tsp. pepper
  • 1 tsp. ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp. turmeric
  • 1/2 tsp. ground coriander
  • 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
  • ¼ tsp. ground cloves
  • ¼ tsp. ground cinnamon

Directions

  1. Rinse lentils well, drain. Place in a pot and cover with a 3-4 inches of water, bring to a boil, reduce to simmer. Check lentils for doneness 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. Be careful! Alternately, I've also used Trader Joe's precooked lentils and they are great!
  2. While the lentils are simmering, make the dressing by placing all ingredients in a jar with a tight fitting lid and shake vigorously to combine.
  3. Finely dice red onion, cucumber and red pepper – the salad is best if all the ingredients are about the same size.
  4. 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, cucumber, red pepper and capers. Top with cheese and pinenuts just before serving. Otherwise, this salad can hang out in the fridge for a couple days.