Green Lentil Salad

Great for vegetarian guests

This salad is infinitely customizable. So use this recipe as a guide and feel free to add other things you may have on hand such as chopped cucumber, tomato, finely chopped raw zucchini, or even some crumbled feta. This is a healthy dish that is great to have in the fridge for hungry late-night guests or for when the kids come home. It’s wonderful as a lunch salad with sandwiches.

Ingredients

• 1 cup green lentils, rinsed

• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1/2 cup very finely chopped celery

• 1/2 cup very finely chopped carrot

• 1/4 cup very finely chopped shallot

• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

• 2 teaspoons lemon zest

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin

• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

• 4 tablespoons minced flat-leaf parsley

• 4 tablespoons minced fresh mint

• 4 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro

• 4 tablespoons minced fresh basil

• salt and pepper

• A few dashes of Tabasco sauce to taste

Instructions

Bring lentils and 3 cups of water to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat to medium low, add the white wine vinegar, and simmer until the lentils are tender, about 35 minutes. Drain lentils and set aside.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until soft. Add the carrot and celery and stir over the heat for just a minute to barely soften them. They should still be crunchy.

Remove pan from heat and stir in remaining ingredients. Mix with the cooled lentils. Add salt, pepper, and Tabasco to taste.

Serve on a bed of fresh greens.