The Best Lentil Salad, Ever
"This recipe was created by Sarah Britton and posted on the My New Roots blog. She calls it the best lentil salad ever, and I have to agree. I serve this over a small bed of baby arugula, and top the salad with some crumbled goat cheese for a healthy, tasty meatless meal. Other optional add-ins mentioned by Sarah are walnuts, fresh herbs & sprouts."
photo by rpgaymer
- Ready In:
- 30mins
- Ingredients:
- 18
- Serves:
-
4
ingredients
- 8 ounces dry lentils
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1⁄2 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1⁄2 tablespoon stone ground mustard
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1⁄2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1⁄4 teaspoon turmeric
- 1⁄4 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1⁄4 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1⁄8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1⁄8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1⁄8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1⁄8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1⁄2 red onion, finely diced
- 1⁄2 1/2 cup raisins or 1/2 cup dried currant
- 3 tablespoons capers, drained
directions
- Rinse lentils well, drain. Place in a pot and cover with a 3-4 inches of water, bring to a boil, reduce to simmer. Check lentils for doneness after 10 minutes, but they should take about 15 minutes in total. You will know they are cooked if they still retain a slight tooth – al dente! (Overcooking the lentils is the death of this dish) Drain & rinse the lentils under cold water and set aside.
- In a small bowl, make the dressing by whisking together the olive, vinegar, maple syrup, mustard and all the spices (salt through cinnamon).
- In a large serving bowl, gently combine the lentils and dressing. Add the onions, cranberries and capers and stir to combine well. If using other add-ins such as herbs, greens, or cheese, wait to add until just before serving. Otherwise, this salad can hang out in the fridge for as long as a couple days!
Questions & Replies
Got a question?
Share it with the community!
Reviews
-
This is a really easy and tasty lentil salad. It is sweet, tangy and salty. I added feta cheese, walnuts and arugula, but only half the onions and 34 of the lentils. The vinegrette is fun to put together and is easily done while the lentils are cooking. It's a keeper. -
Delicious salad and a great way to use lentils. I especially loved the addition of the cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves as they really added a wonderful flavor to this salad. I used green onion vs. the red as I was out and I took the advice of one of the reviewers and added some feta, toasted nuts and served the lentils on some arugula. Added a few extra dried cranberries just because I love them so much in salads. Will definitely make this salad again for sure. Made for PRMR, January, 2014. -
This salad is so yummy. The maple syrup adds a nice sweetness. Great blends of spices. I used brown lentils but I guess any lentils would be great. Thanks rpgaymer :) Made for PRMR tag game -
I've been making this recipe for years to bring to dinner parties! The spice blend is so well balanced and satisfies a range of palates. I don't use lentils though! I have always used quinoa instead since day one. Lentil lovers may be disappointed, but I love the lightness of the salad with almost equal parts arugula and quinoa. This will impress your friends for sure. Thanks so much for the recipe, Sarah! -
I substituted the cranberries for raisins and both the mustard and maple syrup for honey mustard sauce and it came out so so yummy!! A must try lentil salad, it truly is the BEST.
see 7 more reviews
Tweaks
-
I substituted the cranberries for raisins and both the mustard and maple syrup for honey mustard sauce and it came out so so yummy!! A must try lentil salad, it truly is the BEST.
RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
rpgaymer
Chicago, Illinois
Feel free to use my recipes.
