Lentil Salad

I am always on the lookout for easy recipes that I can rely on a day when I don’t feel like cooking or if I do have to cook it should be something that needs minimal use of the stove.  I guess the first thing that comes to mind is a simple salad….simple = a no-fuss simply dressed green salad and some leftovers. Well, today was one of those days when the Sunday mood wasn’t one for cooking.  The refrigerator yielded some leftover veggies – the only good thing was that the leftover veggies were all brilliantly colored which set me on the track for this delicious lentil salad.  The purple cabbage was the leftover from the last week’s farmers market purchase, and I posted the image for the Weekly Photo Challenge Purple.

Maybe I am crazy, but I like the veggies all diced up to a similar size, the smaller the better in this case to match the size of the lentils. Salad dressings enhance the flavor of the salad, and I like a simple dressing that would let the flavor of the fresh veggies come through instead of being masked in a creamy, mustardy dressing.  Extra virgin olive oil and vinegar with a pinch of salt and black pepper work wonders on a salad.  So, my recipe is just a simple one and you can use your creativity in creating this salad.  It is delicious, pretty, and makes you want to dig your fork right in. 

Here is what I used for the salad:

1 cup brown lentils

2 cups of diced mixed veggies (I used purple cabbage, red pepper, cucumber, radish, tomatoes, scallions)

1 thai chilli – finely diced (optional or according to your taste)

¼ cup finely minced fresh herbs (I used parsley and mint)

Dressing:
Mix together 1/4 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice, 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil, 2 garlic cloves – finely crushed, salt and freshly ground pepper.

Optional – Olives, capers, feta cheese, grilled veggies or chicken.

How I made the lentil salad:

1. I soaked the lentils for about two hours, then drained and rinsed it.  Boiled the lentils for about 20 minutes until done – do not overcook the lentils.

2. Drained and rinsed the lentils with cold water.

3. Add the vegetables, chilli, and herbs to the lentils and gently stirred it to blend.  While the lentils were cooking, I made the dressing.

4. Then added the dressing to the lentil/vegetable mixture and tossed it altogether.

5. I added some olives and capers to the salad.

6. Tasted for salt and pepper, and just added a pinch of salt and pepper.  Because I had added the olives, the salad needed very little salt.

7. Drizzled a little extra virgin olive oil and tossed again.

8. The salad was delicious at room temperature, and the leftovers will make a delicious weekday lunch.

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Quinoa Split Pea Salad

Quinoa and split peas make a wonderful combination, chewy quinoa and the soft peas tossed with sautéed onions, garlic, cilantro, and jalapeno.  A pinch of turmeric gives the salad a vibrant yellowish tinge.  Freshly squeezed lemon juice and salt round off the salad.  Serve warm or at room temperature. 

I have no particular measurements here, just half a cup of cooked quinoa, half a cup of cooked split peas, a little diced onion, a clove of garlic – minced, and a few sprigs of fresh cilantro.