A hearty lentil salad that's so packed with vegetables it might even be called the "Great Big Vegetable Salad with a Few Lentils Thrown In Just for Fun". Perfect for picnics and outdoor meals.
Great Crunch, Extra Hearty. No Mayo. Low Carb. Very Weight Watchers Friendly. Great for Meal Prep. Vegan or Vegetarian.
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As happens on the first day the air conditioning gets turned on, it was just too hot to cook. So I scrapped the suddenly wintry-sounding supper plan and turned instead to a summery lentil salad. The inspiring recipe is one I've had my eye on during a three-year love affair with French Food at Home by Laura Calder, a seasonal, accessible and adaptable cookbook.
My version of Summer Lentils is both lightened and "vegged up" — I just keep chopping vegetables until the lentils are cooked! With lots of crunch and flavor, Summer Lentils make for a satisfying meatless entrée. But the lentil-veggie combination makes a good side salad, too – at home but also at potlucks and outdoor celebrations since it has no mayonnaise. Better yet, it's definitely a "concept recipe" — use the vegetables you happen to have on hand.
I've now been making Summer Lentils since 2006, it's one of a handful of recipes that I make again and again. It's a great whole-grain salad, a combination of moist, meaty lentils and chopped vegetables. Tis a winner!
COMPLIMENTS!
"I like it without the feta, but love it with. Husband likes it too." ~ Anonymous "I ... love the crunch of all the different veggies with the creaminess of the cooked lentils." ~ BellePlaine "I made this salad to take to a backyard party and it was a big hit. Delicious!" ~ Anonymous
Just updated. First published way back in 2006!
SUMMER LENTILS
Hands-on time: 40 minutes
Time to table: 1 hour, 40 minutes
Makes 6 cups
LENTILS
1 cup "meaty" lentils such as French green lentils (lentilles du Puy) or black lentils (see ALANNA'S TIPS)
1-1/2 cups unsalted water
DRESSING
4 tablespoons good vinegar, balsamic or red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons good mustard such as Dijon
2 tablespoons olive oil
Generous salt & pepper
VEGGIES
2 shallots, minced (or chopped onion or chopped green onion)
2 carrots, diced (or grated for less crunch, my preference)
1 bell pepper, diced (try yellow or green for color contrast)
8 ounces grape tomatoes, halved or quartered
3 ribs celery, diced
8 ounces radishes, sliced thin and quartered
2 ounces drained capers
Chopped chive or fresh basil or fresh dill
4 ounces crumbled feta, optional but especially good if using as an entrée
LENTILS Rinse the lentils. Place lentils and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover and let simmer until cooked. Drain if needed and return to the hot pan.
DRESSING Mix the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Stir into the hot lentils.
VEGGIES Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables and collect in a large bowl. Stir in the lentils and cool to room temperature for an hour or so. Just before serving, stir in the feta.
ALANNA's TIPS & KITCHEN NOTES This recipe was originally published way back in 2006. When first published, the recipe won first prize in a lentil recipe contest from a blog called Something in Season that sadly no longer exists. When I remade the salad for a Memorial Day picnic, I fell in love with the salad all over again, it's a real winner. Look for meaty black lentils or green lentils in the bulk section at a well-stocked grocery. The black lentils are usually less expensive then the green French lentils. Organic puy de lentilles are selling in the bulk aisle at Whole Foods right now for $3 a pound. I've never used the softer brown lentils in this salad, they would work fine but the texture would be different. Red lentils would be much too soft.
NUTRITION INFORMATION
Without Feta Per Half Cup: 97 Calories; 3g Tot Fat; 0g Sat Fat; 0mg Cholesterol; 200mg Sodium; 14g Carb; 6g Fiber; 2g Sugars; 5g Protein. WEIGHT WATCHERS POINTS Old Points 1 & PointsPlus 2 & SmartPoints 3 & Freestyle 1 & myWW green 2 & blue 1 & purple 1 CALORIE COUNTERS 100-calorie servings = 1/2 cup (5g protein)
With Feta Per Half Cup: 122 Calories; 4g Tot Fat; 2g Sat Fat; 8mg Cholesterol; 305mg Sodium; 14g Carb; 6g Fiber; 3g Sugars; 6g Protein. WEIGHT WATCHERS POINTS Old Points 2 & PointsPlus 3 & SmartPoints 4 & Freestyle 2 & myWW green 3 & blue 2 & purple 2 CALORIE COUNTERS 100-calorie servings = scant 1/2 cup (5g protein)
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MORE FAVORITE RECIPES for HEARTY SALADS
~ Fresh Three-Bean Salad ~
~ Chipotle Chickpea Salad ~
~ Julia Child's Lentil Salad ~
~ more recipes with beans, lentils & other legumes ~
from A Veggie Venture
~ Quinoa & Black Bean Salad ~
~ Wild Rice Salad ~
~ New-Fashioned Sauerkraut Salad ~
~ Favorite Summer Salad Recipes ~
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