Mediterranean Lentil Salad Recipe

With most salads, you pour the dressing on at the end and coat the dish from the outside in.

But in this salad, the lentils cool off in the fridge in a bath of dressing—in this case olive oil, vinegar, lemon and cumin. They absorb all of this wonderful flavor.

Ingredients

1 cup dried lentils, preferably Le Puy green lentils, rinsed well

1 clove garlic, peeled and smashed

¼ teaspoon dried oregano

2 bay leaves

1 cinnamon stick, or ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon brown rice vinegar

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 teaspoon lemon zest

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½ teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon sea salt

1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced small

1 small cucumber, seeded and diced small

¼ cup pitted kalamata olives, rinsed and sliced

3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 ounces organic feta cheese, crumbled (optional)

Preparation

1. Combine the lentils, garlic, oregano, bay leaf, and cinnamon stick in a saucepan and cover with water or broth by 2 inches. Bring to a boil, then cover, lower the heat, and simmer until the lentils are tender, 20–25 minutes. Drain the lentils thoroughly and discard the whole spices.

2. In a separate bowl, whisk the olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, lemon zest, cumin, and salt together. Toss the lentils with the vinaigrette, then refridgerate for 20 minutes.

3. Stir in bell pepper, cucumber, olives, mint, parsley and combine. Season as needed with a pinch of salt, pepper or lemon juice. Serve with feta cheese sprinkled over the top.