Mediterranean Lentil Salad

As the weather warms up I start thinking about different kinds of salads to replace some of the soup meals we enjoy during the colder months. Salads don’t have to be all vegetables. Lentils and beans tossed with some raw vegetables make for hearty flavorful salads that easily stand in for your main entree. Sometimes I will make three different cold salads and serve up a trio plate! They are perfect for casual entertaining. This new lentil salad recipe will surely show up on a trio plate many times this summer. It’s a little tangy, has some crunch from the raw veggies and is so filling and refreshing!

I follow Debby @Happy Healthy Long Life who is affectionately known as the Healthy Librarian on Facebook. We have become internet friends over the years and we share a love for living a healthy lifestyle and trying new recipes. We both enjoy the same flavor profiles so it’s a sure bet that we will like each others recipes. To make this recipe even easier Debby suggest using a package of Trader Joe’s Steamed Lentils that can be found in the refrigeration section near the vegetables. I changed a couple things to use what I had on hand so you can see the original recipe here. This recipe is being shared with permission from Debby.

Mediterranean Lentil Salad

SOS Free – salt oil and sugar free

1 package of Trader Joe’s Steamed Lentils

Or

1 cup brown or green lentils cooked with 4 cups water, 2 bay leaves, 1 tsp fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp dried thyme and 2 peeled garlic cloves. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until tender about 20 minutes. Drain, discard bay leaves, remove and smash garlic and mix back into lentils.

• 1/3 – 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes, soaked in boiling water until soft, about 20 minutes then drained and chopped.
• 1 cup diced celery
• 1 cup diced carrots – I used rainbow carrots for tons of color
• 1/2 cup diced red onion
• 1 cup salad tomatoes cut in half
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 cups of finely shopped fresh kale

Dressing:

• 4 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
• 1 lemon juiced
• 1 teaspoon ground fennel – I didn’t have ground so I took fennel seeds and rushed them up using a mortar and pestle
• 1 teaspoon Stone Ground Mustard no salt added
• ground black pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon Table Tasty or some other kind of no salt seasoning

If you used Trader Joe’s steamed lentil then add the following,

• 2 minced garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme

In a large bowl mix the lentils, vegetables and herbs together. Whisk together the dressing ingredients and toss with the lentil veggie mixture. Serve immediately or chill.

Recipe adapted from Debby @Happy Healthy Long Life and shared with her permission.