Lentil Salad

Lentils are one of my favorite super foods. They are absolutely packed with nutrition - fiber, iron, protein, B vitamins, folate, and more. They are cheap, especially dried in the bulk section of your super market, so easy to make, and so comforting. I love them in a classic, hearty lentil soup. I'm going to link to my co-worker and friend Joelle's recipe for lentil soup because she was nice enough to share it with me in her blog: http://brokenjelly.blogspot.com/2010/01/lentils-monastery-style.html.

I also love to use lentils in salad. They absorb the flavors of the dressing very well, and the fiber & protein combination keep me full for hours. I made this lentil salad for my lunches this week and it is fantastic! This recipe is just a guide - use whatever veggies you have on hand.

Lentil Salad

cooked lentils, see recipe below
1 seedless cucumber, diced
1 red, orange, or yellow pepper, diced
1/4 of a red onion, finely diced
1 carrot, diced or shredded
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
salt and pepper, to taste
baby greens and cheese for serving, optional

In a small bowl, wisk the red wine vinegar, olive oil, and dijon mustard. Toss the diced cucumber, pepper, red onion, and tomato in a large bowl with the cooked and cooled lentils. Add the dressing and salt and pepper to taste and mix until well-incorporated. Serve on a bed of baby greens with your favorite cheese for a delicious and nutricious lunch.


Cooked lentils:
I've found that cooking lentils in broth with veggies and a garlic clove packs the in the most flavor, although you can cook them in water and the veggies are not required. Don't add salt until they are done cooking, or they can get tough.

1 cup dried lentils (I like green or brown lentils)
1.5 cups chicken or vegetable broth, or water
1 whole garlic clove
1/2 onion, cut in large pieces
2 celery stalks, cut in large pieces
1 carrot, cut in large pieces

Bring the broth to a boil in a pot. Add the lentils, veggies, and garlic clove. Boil for 3 minutes, then reduce to a simmer and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until lentils are tender (don't overcook or they will get mushy in the salad). Remove the garlic clove and veggies before adding them to the salad.