As you may or may not already know... I love my lentils. A lot. I'm always on the search for another way that I can fit them into my meals, new ideas, new flavours that I hadn't thought of before. I found this one while on my quest: it's called "The Best Lentil Salad. Ever." from www.mynewroots.org (link provided below.) Seriously, that's the name of it. I didn't make that up. I'm not that clever. My first thought was "Yes, go on. You already had me at lentils." Of course I had to try it out with a title like that. And you know what? It's true. I have made this salad on countless occasions and it does not disappoint. It's hearty, it's zingy, it's zany, it's beautiful, and it's delicious. I love the fact that you can pretty much create a different flavour profile each time by just adding something a little bit different, maybe some feta cheese, maybe some basil or cilantro, or roasted veggies, whatever you like. I love basil almost as much as I love lentils, so in it goes. You can serve this cold or warm. Personally, I love to make it a full meal (think lunches for work) by cooking up some rice, mixing it all together and serving it warm. But the choice is yours. It's quick to make (only takes 20 minutes to cook the lentils, you can whip up the vinaigrette while it's simmering) and it's super easy. And, of course, it's lovely because it's lentils. Cheers!
A Lovely Lentil Salad
Adapted from a recipe from here
Ingredients
2 cups dried lentils
1 cup or so of dried cranberries (I don't usually measure them, just throw them in until I'm satisfied)
1/3 cup capers
a handful or two or three of sunflower seeds
Vinaigrette
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp maple syrup
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
pinch of salt
A few grinds of pepper in a mill
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
Directions
Rinse lentils well. Place in a pot and cover with 3-4 inches of water. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer and let cook for 20 minutes. Lentils should still be firm but not crunchy- don't overcook, nothing worse than mushy lentils.
Place all the ingredients for the vinaigrette in a small bowl and whisk together.
When the lentils are cooked, remove from heat, drain, and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. Place lentils in a large bowl, add in the cranberries, sunflower seeds, capers and whatever else you'd like to add. Pour in the vinaigrette (I always do it in increments and taste as I go to avoid adding too much vinaigrette and creating a "liquidy" salad.)
If you'd like to add in basil or any other fresh herbs or greens or cheese, wait until just before serving so that they stay nice and fresh. The Lovely Lentil Salad should be good in the fridge for a few days. I like to make it up the day before so that the flavours have a chance to mingle.
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