BEST LENTIL SALAD EVER

 
 
 
 

This salad has been dubbed ‘The Best Lentil Salad Ever’ by food blogger extraordinaire Sarah Britton of My New Roots. Although there are so many delicious lentil salad recipes out there, we have to agree with her on this one. The allure of this salad all comes down to the variety of tasty elements in it: the savory earthy spices, the crunch of the red onion, saltiness from the capers or a surprise pop of sweetness from the currants. We also love this recipe because of its flexibility with ingredients. While it has a long list of seemingly-required spices, there is some room for give and take if you don’t have them all. Experiment with what you have and taste as you go. Finally, it’s a packed-lunch dream. It tastes even better after letting it sit in the fridge and is full of fiber and protein to keep you full. We promise you won’t get tired of it. — Dak & Ju

 

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 ¼ cups (1 lb.) Du Puy lentils

  • 1/2 of medium red onion, finely diced

  • 1 cup dried currants (you could also use raisins or other dried fruit)

  • 1/3 cup capers

  • 1/2 cup flat leaf parsley

Optional add-ins:

  • cheese, fresh herbs arugula, spinach, toasted nuts

    Vinaigrette: 

  • 1/3 extra virgin olive oil

  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

  • 1 Tbsp. maple syrup

  • 1 Tbsp. strong mustard

  • 2 tsp. salt

  • 2 tsp. pepper

  • 1 tsp. ground cumin

  • 1/2 tsp. turmeric

  • 1/2 tsp. ground coriander

  • 1/2 tsp. ground cardamom

  • 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

  • ¼ tsp. ground cloves

  • 1/4 tsp. nutmeg

  • ¼ tsp. ground cinnamon

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Rinse the lentils well and drain them. Place them in a pot and cover with a 3-4 inches of water. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Check the lentils for doneness after 15 minutes. They should be cooked through and not chalky but still have a bite to them. They should take about 15-20 minutes to cook. Take care not to overcook the lentils — you’ll want them to maintain their shape and be slightly al dente.

  2. While the lentils are simmering, make the dressing by placing all of the vinaigrette ingredients a large bowl and whisking to combine. Get the finely chopped onion into the oil and vinegar as soon as you can to to mellow out some of its sharp onion-y bite.

  3. The salad is best if all the ingredients are about the same size. If using raisins, chop them roughly to make them a bit smaller, and do the same with the capers if they are large. 

  4. Once the lentils are cooked, remove from heat, drain and place under cold running water to stop the cooking process. Once they’re mostly cooled, but still a little warm, place the lentils in the same large serving bowl with the dressing and toss to coat. Add the capers and currants. Stir in parsley or other fresh herbs (if using). Serve cold or room temperature.

  5. This salad is great with any other fresh herbs like mint, basil or cilantro. Throw a soft boiled egg on top! Or some feta. Goat cheese! Nuts like toasted almonds or walnuts. How about half of an avocado? Yum.