Red Lentil Confetti Salad
Fresh green herbs, sweet red pepper, crisp cucumber, and pungent purple onion, all tossed together with tender nutritious lentils and a simple red wine vinaigrette, this tasty hearty salad is a hit whenever you serve it.
Prep Time10 minutes mins
Cook Time8 minutes mins
Chilling time:1 hour hr
Total Time1 hour hr 18 minutes mins
Course: Salad
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cucumbers, red lentils, red pepper
Servings: 6 servings.
Calories: 184kcal
- 1 cup dry red lentils , picked over and rinsed
- 3 cups water
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
- 1 clove garlic , minced
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup chopped green onons or optional garlic scapes, cut in 1/4-inch pieces
- ¾ cup finely chopped red onion
- ½ red bell pepper , seeded and cut into ½-inch pieces
- ½ cucumber , peeled and seeds removed, cut into thin slices
- ⅓ cup finely chopped fresh herbs (e.g. cilantro, parsley, basil, summer savory etc.)
Put the lentils with water and bay leaf in a large pot. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally until the lentils are just tender, 5 to 8 minutes. (Do not overcook--see note) Drain and let cool.
Whisk the vinegar and the mustard in a bowl. Stir in the garlic, salt and about 20 grinds of black pepper. Whisk in the olive oil.
Put the red lentils and garlic scapes, if using, red onion, bell pepper, cucumber, and chopped fresh herbs in a salad bowl.
Pour the red wine vinaigrette over the salad. Toss until everything is well coated with the dressing. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more salt and pepper if needed.
Refrigerate at least one hour to allow the flavors to blend. Serve chilled.
- Cook red lentils slowly and check them often; they fall apart quickly and before you know they can turn into mush. After 5 minutes, and each minute after, take a bite; a lentil should yield to your tooth with texture.
- If the salad is prepared more than a few hours ahead, taste and adjust the salt and pepper again before serving.
Serving: 1g | Calories: 184kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 206mg | Potassium: 371mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 340IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 2mg