TravelTalkOnline Forums People Talk Recipes Lentil Salad

Any recipes out there for a really good lentil salad? I LOVE lentil soup in the winter months and was thinking of something to have over the summer months.
Please share!

Thanks!
map <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/dine.gif" alt="" />

I've not tried this one , but I do love her recipes.

Thanks much. I'll give it a try and let you know how it turns out. I may scale back on the green olives a bit due to the high sodium content. The lentils are soaking to cook tomorrow.
Bon Apetite!
ciao!

map <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/usflag.gif" alt="" />

I overcooked the lentils so I made soup instead which is ok as the weather has taken a turn for the worst and it is rainy and cold. A good time for some comfort food..and lentil soup is one of my favorites! I'll try the salad again and if anyone else has some good recipes please share.
Thanks!

map <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/usflag.gif" alt="" />

Map, I wondered when you said you were soaking the lentils overnight. It's so easy to overcook them, that I don't usually do the soak at all.

Here's an outline for a lentil salad I make a lot.

My apologies to those of you who want exact amounts, I tend to cook by guess and instinct rather than recipe, so the amounts listed are guestimates. Overall, you're aiming for a balance of tangy, savory, salty, crunchy, citrusy deliciousness.

Cook 1 cup lentils in about 3 cups water. (I like to use the French le Puy type lentils, since they hold together very well, even once they are tender.)

Cook 4 slices bacon til crisp, drain and crumble. Or, substitute small bits of ham or sausage. Or, leave meat out completely if you're feeding vegetarians.

Cut peel and pith off of one large or two small naval oranges. Cut between membranes to free orange sections. Cut membrane-free orange sections into bite-size pieces. Squeeze the membrane over a cup to collect as much juice as you can.

Peel and chop some or all of the following: carrot (you’ll want about 3/4 cup), red onion or scallion or chives (about 1/3 cup), red bell pepper (about ½ cup), red or yellow cherry tomato (cut in half, probably not quite a cup), chopped tomato (again, not quite a cup) or plump, soft sundried tomato (probably not more than 1/4 cup, they can easily overwhelm things).

Drain lentils, and mix with orange chunks and whatever add-ins you've prepped. While still warm, toss with a dressing composed of:

½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
2 T. balsamic vinegar
2 T. Dijon mustard
2 T. olive or vegetable oil
freshly ground black pepper to taste
(no salt yet)

Depending on how many veggies you added, you may need more dressing.

Just before serving, mix in ½ cup roasted, chopped pecans (or other nut of choice), ½ cup feta or blue cheese crumbles, and ½ cup minced parsley. Salt to taste at this point, not before, because the cheese will add a fair amount of salt.

That sounds delicious!

mmmmmmm that does sound rather awesome! Thanks I will definately give that a try. And as far as soaking the beans go, I am so use to it when I make my soup I did not even give it a thought that I didn't need to do it for the salad. But alls well that ends well. Instead of soup I have a rather awesome what I call lentil chili (meatless) with spinach, carrots, red pepper, scallions TONS of fresh parsley and lots of fresh lemon juice. Been eating it all week and could not be happier (it's the little things in life <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Wink.gif" alt="" />).
Thanks again for the recipe!
ciao,
map <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/dine.gif" alt="" />