Lentil Salad

Take any type of lentils - green, red, brown or black, they are some of the nutritious pulses for health. Available all the year round, nutritional value of lentils is very impressive. They blend well with other food ingredients and flavorings. So, lentil recipes are considered very easy, even for those without the slightest knowledge about cooking. 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. Toss up these salad variants with lentils and a motley of other things!

Mediterranean Lentil Salad
Ingredients

• 1 cup dry brown lentils
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup red onion, diced
• 1 bay leaf
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• ½ cup diced celery
• ¼ cup chopped parsley
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions for Preparation

In a saucepan, add lentils, carrots, garlic, onion, thyme and bay leaf. Pour water till it reaches to a level of about 1 inch above the ingredients. Place saucepan over medium high heat and bring to a boiling temperature. Reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until lentils turn tender. Drain cooked lentils, vegetables and remove the last traces of water. Discard 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.

French Lentil Salad
Ingredients

• 1½ cups dried lentils (sorted, rinsed and drained)
• 4 green onions, finely chopped
• ¼ cup chopped walnuts
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

Directions for Preparation

In a saucepan, add rinsed lentils and pour 2 quarts of water. Place saucepan over high heat and bring mixture to a boiling temperature. Put lid, reduce heat and simmer for about 25 minutes. Drain lentils and keep ready for making salad. For roasting walnuts, preheat oven to 375° F. Lay a baking sheet and spread walnuts evenly in one layer. Bake for 4-5 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and allow to cool down completely. Take a large bowl and combine together cooked lentils, onions, parsley, thyme, olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Put lid and refrigerate for 45 minutes. While serving, top lentil salad with toasted walnuts.

Warm Lentil Salad
Ingredients for Salad

• 2 1/4 cups green lentils (rinsed and picked over)
• 1 medium-sized onion (peeled and halved)
• 2 large garlic cloves, crushed
• ¼ cup minced flat-leaf parsley
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 ounces fresh goat cheese (cut in round shape)
• Kosher salt to taste

Ingredients for Dressing

• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ½ cup cooking liquid from the lentils
• ¼ cup red wine vinegar
• 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 cooked lentils by using a strainer. Discard 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 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.

So, this is how you can make a variety of lentil salad. If you love to have sprouts, consider sprouting lentils and make a healthy salad with flavoring herbs. As per your meal plan, you can serve lentil salad as a main course or a side dish. Either way, these salads are worth including in the regular diet to ensure good health.