How To Make Lentil Salad with Summer Vegetables
Toss a quick and refreshing dish with this lentil salad that comes with tomatoes, celery, and arugula in a bright and tangy vinaigrette.
Serves:
Ingredients
For Salad:
- 1cuppuy lentils
- 2clovesgarlic
- 1bay leaf
- handful of parsley stems,tied together with a string
- 2½cupswater
- 3stalkscelery,diced small
- 1yellow pepper,diced
- 1pintgrape or cherry tomatoes,halved
- ¼cupred onion,minced
- 1cupbaby arugula
For Vinaigrette:
- 3tbsplemon juice
- 3tbspextra virgin olive oil
- 1tbspfresh parsley,minced
- ½lemon,zested
- ½tspMorton kosher salt
- ¼tspdried oregano
- ¼tspsugar
- 1tbspshallots,minced
- salt and pepper,to taste
Instructions
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In a medium pot combine lentils, smashed garlic cloves, bay leaf, a handful of parsley stems. Add enough water to cover the lentils by 1½ to 2 inches (about 2½ cups).
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Bring to a simmer and cook uncovered for about 25 minutes. The exact time will vary based on how dry the lentils are.
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When at 10 minutes into the finished cooking time, start sampling the lentils to check for doneness—when cooked, they should be tender, but still intact. Continue sampling every 5 minutes until they’re ready.
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When the lentils are done, drain them and discard the bay leaf, garlic, and parsley stems.
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While the lentils cook, make the vinaigrette. In a large bowl, whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, parsley, lemon zest, salt, oregano, sugar, and shallots.
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Add the hot lentils to the vinaigrette, and stir to coat. By combining the vinaigrette with the lentils while they are still hot, the lentils will absorb more of the flavor from the vinaigrette making the salad extra tasty. Allow to cool.
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Add the prepared vegetables and arugula. If the arugula is large, stack it and slice it into thick, short ribbons before adding it to the salad. Stir to combine.
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Add more salt and pepper to taste and finish with a drizzle of good quality extra virgin olive oil.
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Serve room temperature or cold, as a vegetarian meal, or alongside a sandwich, frittata, chicken, or fish. This salad is best eaten the day it’s made.
Nutrition
- Calories: 209.22kcal
- Fat: 7.46g
- Saturated Fat: 1.05g
- Monounsaturated Fat: 5.05g
- Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.98g
- Carbohydrates: 28.67g
- Fiber: 5.61g
- Sugar: 3.46g
- Protein: 9.47g
- Sodium: 648.86mg
- Calcium: 55.74mg
- Potassium: 567.96mg
- Iron: 3.21mg
- Vitamin A: 68.82µg
- Vitamin C: 84.42mg
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