French Lentil Salad

This delicious salad, which Mela brought to a weekend getaway, makes a healthy main or side dish that keeps for days in the fridge. French lentils make it extra special but brown will also work. Add protein of choice for extra staying power. Original recipe is from Flourist.com.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups French (puy) lentils

• 1 medium red onion, diced

• 1 cup Golden raisins (or currants)

• 1/3 cup small capers (one small jar, rinsed)

• ½ cup chopped Italian parsley

• 1 cup toasted walnut pieces, chopped

Curry Dressing

• 1/3 cup cold pressed, extra virgin olive oil

• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

• 1 Tablespoon coconut sugar or organic sugar

• 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard

• 2 teaspoons salt

• 2 teaspoons ground black pepper

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin

• ½ teaspoon turmeric

• ½ teaspoon ground coriander

• ½ teaspoon ground cardamom

• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

PROCEDURE

1. To start, soak the lentils in plenty of cold water for 4-8 hours to hydrate. Once you are ready to make the salad, drain and rinse the lentils and place in a large vegetable steamer basket with enough water to boil for 30 minutes. Steam the lentils until soft – about 25-30 minutes. Be careful to add more water as needed. While the lentils steam, prepare the dressing by adding all the ingredients into a bowl and whisking until combined (you can also use a jar with a lid and shake to combine). Finely chop the red onion, and prepare the nuts and chopped parsley. Add the red onion, walnuts, parsley, and raisins to a bowl and set aside.

2. Once the lentils are cooked, remove from the heat and let cool for a few minutes. Once they are not steaming hot, toss the warm lentils with the dressing in a large mixing bowl. Fold in the rest of the ingredients, being careful to add the herbs when the lentils have cooled quite well.

3. Toss to mix well and enjoy! This recipe feeds a few and keeps well in the fridge for up to 5 days.