Description
A fresh Lentil Salad with firm green lentils, crisp cucumber, red onion, sweet Medjool dates, parsley, and bright lemon vinaigrette. Ready in about 30 minutes, this protein rich salad serves 6 and works well for meal prep.
Ingredients
- 1 cup lentils, preferably green lentils or French/Puy lentils
- 4 cups water
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 large cucumber, finely diced
- 1/2 red onion, finely diced
- 1 cup Medjool dates, finely diced
- 1 small bunch flat leaf parsley, chopped
- 1 recipe lemon vinaigrette, using about half for the salad
Instructions
- Combine the lentils, water, and bay leaf in a medium saucepan.
- Bring to a boil, then turn the heat to very low and cover.
- Gently simmer for 16 to 20 minutes, until the lentils are tender but still firm.
- Drain the lentils, remove the bay leaf, and refrigerate briefly to cool.
- Finely dice the cucumber, red onion, and Medjool dates, then chop the parsley.
- Combine the cooled lentils with the cucumber, red onion, dates, and parsley.
- Pour approximately half of the prepared lemon vinaigrette over the salad.
- Toss gently until everything is evenly coated, then serve cold.
Notes
Keep the cucumber, onion, and dates in a small, even dice so each serving contains a balanced mix of ingredients.
Green or French/Puy lentils work especially well because they retain their shape and firm texture.
Keep the simmer very gentle because excessive heat or overcooking can make the lentils mushy.
For meal prep, cook the lentils a couple of minutes less because they continue to soften as they absorb the dressing during storage.
You can replace the dates with raisins, prunes, dried cranberries, dried cherries, or another sweet dried fruit.
You can cook a piece of kombu with the lentils for additional savory flavor.
You can cook the lentils in advance and refrigerate them overnight before assembling the salad.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days.