If you are a lentil lover, this could be one the most delicious and nutritious salads. While studying for my qualifying exams at the library all day as a graduate student, green lentil salad was my lunch for at least three days a week.
There’s nothing written in stone: You can use more or less of anything down below. In Turkey this salad is usually dressed with pomegranate molasses, however I don’t enjoy the slight sweetness that comes with it, so I prefer crisp tartness of lemons.
For 4 people
1 cup green lentils
4-5 scallions, finely chopped
2-3 red sweet Italian peppers, finely chopped
1/2 cup roasted red peppers, chopped
1/2 cup dill or cucumber pickles, or cornichon pickles finely chopped
1/2 cup or a bit more canned corn
1/3 cup fresh dill, finely chopped
1/3 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh mint, finely chopped
salt
juice of 1 lemon
a generous 1/4 cup of olive oil
optional
2-3 tbsp pomegranate molasses (It’s widely available at international or middle eastern stores)
1/4 cup pickled jalapenos, finely chopped (I absolutely love having pickled jalapenos in this salad, sour and spicy is a perfect combination)
1/4 cup pickled peppers, finely chopped
1/3 – 1/2 cup crumbled feta
-Put 1 cup green lentils in a pot with 4-5 cups of water and cook for ~15 minutes. Check to see if they’re cooked after 1o minutes. Lentils should be cooked but not mushy. Immediately rinse in a colander or sieve; we don’t want the lentil to cook more in the hot water. 1 cup will make a lot of lentils, perfect for company or lunch for everyday.
-Chop everythıng finely as if you’re trying to match them with lentils.
-Salt to your taste.
-Add juice of one lemon. One lemon is usually good for this many lentils but you can use less as well. I usually add a bit more. (If you would like to add pomegranate molasses balance it with lemon juice)
-Add olive oil and toss.
Enjoy!