Healthy and Luscious Lentil Salad Recipes

Take any type of lentils - green, red, brown or black, they are some of the most nutritious pulses. Available all the year round, the nutritional value of lentils is very impressive. They blend well with other food ingredients and flavorings. You can make a lentil salad by just boiling and mixing it with other salad ingredients. The preparation time for lentils is very short, as compared to other dried pulses such as chickpea, kidney beans, and black beans.

Ingredients

• Dry brown lentils, 1 cup
• Diced carrots, 1 cup
• Garlic, 2 cloves (minced)
• Red onion, 1 cup (diced)
• Bay leaf, 1
• Dried thyme, ½ tsp.

• Diced celery, ½ cup
• Chopped parsley, ¼ cup
• Lemon juice, 2 tbsp.
• Olive oil, ¼ cup
• Salt, 1 tsp.
• Ground black pepper, ¼ tsp.

Directions for Preparation

In a saucepan, add lentils, carrots, garlic, onion, thyme, and the bay leaf. Pour water till it reaches to a level of about 1 inch above the ingredients. Place the saucepan over medium high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for approximately 20 minutes, or until the lentils turn tender.

Drain the cooked lentils, and vegetables, and remove the last traces of water. Discard the bay leaf and add the remaining ingredients - celery, parsley, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Toss well and serve with your favorite salad dressing.

Ingredients

• Dried lentils, 1½ cups (sorted, rinsed, and drained)
• Green onions, 4 (finely chopped)
• Walnuts, ¼ cup (chopped)
• Fresh parsley, 2 tbsp. (chopped)
• Thyme, ½ tsp. (dried)
• Olive oil, 1 tbsp.
• Balsamic vinegar, 3 tbsp.
• Salt, ¾ tsp.
• Water, 2 qt.
• Black pepper, ¼ tsp.

Directions for Preparation

In a saucepan, add rinsed lentils and pour water. Place saucepan over high heat and bring mixture to a boil. Put the lid, reduce heat, and simmer for about 25 minutes. Drain lentils and keep them ready for making the salad. For roasting walnuts, preheat oven to 375°F.

Lay a baking sheet and spread walnuts evenly in one layer. Bake for 4-5 min, or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and allow them to cool down completely. Take a large bowl, combine together cooked lentils, onions, parsley, thyme, olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Put lid and refrigerate for 45 min. While serving, top the salad with toasted walnuts.

Ingredients for Salad

• Green lentils, ½ cup (rinsed and picked over)
• Medium-sized onion, 1 (peeled and halved)
• Large garlic, 2 cloves (crushed)
• Flat-leaf parsley, ¼ cup (minced)
• Bay leaf, 1
• Fresh goat cheese, 4 oz. (cut in round shape)
• Kosher salt to taste

Ingredients for Dressing

• Garlic, 1 clove (minced)
• Dijon mustard, 2 tsp.
• Extra virgin olive oil, ¼ cup
• Cooking liquid from the lentils, ½ cup
• Red wine vinegar, ¼ cup
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions for Preparation

Add washed lentils, halved onion, crushed garlic, and bay leaf in a large soup pot. Pour water to cover the ingredients and put the pot over high heat. As the mixture starts boiling, reduce heat and simmer for about 25-30 minutes.

Ensure that lentils are soft but intact, then only remove from heat. Strain the cooked lentils using a strainer. Discard the onion, garlic, and bay leaf, while preserving the liquid. Return the cooking liquid to the soup pot and simmer, till it reduces to one-third of the original amount.

Working on the dressing part, preheat oven to 350°F. Take a mixing bowl and beat together garlic, Dijon mustard, olive oil, cooking liquid, and vinegar. Season the dressing with salt and pepper, as per your taste. In a large mixing bowl, lightly mix cooked lentils and dressing. Sprinkle parsley leaves. Transfer salad into a baking dish and top with pieces of goat cheese. Soften cheese by heating salad in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and serve warm.