Mediterranean Lentil Salad

By Nisha Vora

Cook: 30 minutes mins

Total: 30 minutes mins

Servings: 4

This 30-minute ultimate Lentil Salad features perfectly cooked lentils dressed in a zesty aromatic dressing and tossed with greens and fresh herbs. It meets all the criteria of a truly great salad: hearty, refreshing, full of flavor, and simple to whip up!

Ingredients

•  1 cup (200g) French green lentils or Black Beluga lentils ( This is even faster if canned lentils are used! )
•  Kosher salt + freshly cracked black pepper
•  1 bay leaf
•  ¼ cup (56g) extra virgin olive oil
•  2 medium shallots, thinly sliced
•  5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
•  ½ cup (~70g) pine nuts, or chopped almonds or pistachios (See Note 2)
•  2 medium lemons, zested + 2 tablespoons of the juice
•  2 teaspoons Aleppo pepper (or ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes; half for mild heat)
•  Heaping ½ teaspoon flaky sea salt
•  1 to 1 ½ tablespoons champagne vinegar (or red wine vinegar), more as needed
•  1 ½ cups (~24g) fresh soft herbs such as basil, mint, parsley, and/or cilantro, chopped (See Note 3)
•  3 cups (40g) arugula

Instructions 

• Cook the lentils. Fill a medium saucepan with water and generously salt, as you would salt cooking water for pasta. Once the water is boiling, add the lentils, bay leaf, and a few rounds of black pepper.
• Reduce the heat to simmer and maintain a simmer for 17 to 20 minutes, or until the lentils are al dente (tender but with a bite). When the lentils are al dente, drain them over a colander and discard the bay leaf. Shake the colander a few times to get rid of water.
• While the lentils cook, heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Once warm, add the shallots and garlic with a pinch of salt. Cook for 3 minutes, or until shallots are just starting to get some color.
  • Add the pine nuts and cook, stirring from time to time, for 4 to 6 minutes, or until garlic is just turning golden brown around the edges and the pine nuts are toasted and nicely browned.
  • Add lemon zest, chile flakes, and flaky salt, and cook for 30 seconds, tossing frequently. Take off heat immediately and pour into a large bowl to stop cooking.
  • chop the fresh herbs.
• Add the lentils to the aromatic oil, season with ½ teaspoon kosher salt, black pepper to taste, and toss well. Add the vinegar (starting with 1 tablespoon), 2 tablespoons lemon juice, fresh herbs and toss well to combine.
• Now add the arugula and toss together with tongs to just gently wilt. Season the salad with salt and pepper if needed.