Healthy Lentil Salad Recipes

Steps:

• 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!

Steps:

• For the Salad:
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the lentils and cook until tender, stirring occasionally, about 18 to 20 minutes. Drain and let cool for 5 minutes. Place lentils and remaining salad ingredients in a large salad bowl.
• For the Vinaigrette:
• Place the lemon juice in a small bowl. Slowly add the oil, whisking constantly, until combined. Season with salt and pepper, to taste
• Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and toss well.

Steps:

• Whisk the vinegar, olive oil, mustard, salt, pepper, parsley and thyme together in a large mixing bowl. Add the warm lentils and bacon and stir to combine. Serve warm or at room temperature.;
• Pick over the lentils, rinse and drain. Place the lentils along with the onion, garlic, bay leaf, salt and pork into a large 6-quart saucepan and cover with water by 2 to 3 inches. Place over high heat and bring just to a rolling boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until the lentils are tender, approximately 25 to 30 minutes. Drain any remaining liquid and discard the onion, garlic, bay leaf and salt pork. Stir in black pepper and taste for salt. Serve immediately.
• Note from Alton: Those of you who watched this program on the 17th or 18th will want to disregard one particular suggestion I made regarding lentils: don't feed the left over onions to your dog. It turns out onions are not good for dogs in any shape or form. I'm grateful to the fans who emailed me after the airing for setting me straight on this nutritional peculiarity. As for my own dog's ability to digest onions, well...she's more hog than dog I guess.
• Cook smart,
• Alton

Steps:

• Boil the lentils following pack instructions, drain, rinse well, then drain thoroughly.
• Meanwhile, mix the citrus juices, vinegar and a pinch of salt in a salad bowl, then toss in the onion rings - after a few mins they will soften and turn pink. Whisk together the oil, cumin, garlic and chutney, then toss into the onions with the cooled lentils, coriander, tomatoes, spinach and plenty of seasoning.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
• Add butternut squash, Brussels sprouts, and red onion to to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Season with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and use hands to mix until seasoning is fully distributed.
• Bake for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through.
• In a medium saucepan, add lentils and water, and bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat to a simmer and cover for 20-25 minutes or until lentils are tender. Drain excess water if necessary.
• When vegetables are finished roasting, transfer to a mixing bowl and add lentils.
• For the dressing, combine balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, salt, and pepper in liquid measuring cup and whisk until combined.
• Pour dressing over lentils and vegetables and toss until fully coated.
• Transfer lentil salad to two containers and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
• Enjoy!

Steps:

• Place lentils in a large pot with enough water to cover be a few inches. Bring to a boil, and cook until lentils are tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water in a colander to cool. Let stand for a few minutes to drain well.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil and lemon juice. Add the red pepper, onion and green olives, and toss to blend. Refrigerate for about 2 hours before serving to blend the flavors. This salad tastes better the longer it sits.

Steps:

• Pick over lentils to remove any stones and rinse well.
• Stick one onion half with the cloves.
• In a large saucepan, combine water, lentils and the onion stuck with the cloves.
• Bring to a boil over medium heat.
• Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until the lentils are tender, about 20 minutes.
• Discard onion.
• Drain lentils and let cool slightly.
• In a bowl, combine lemon juice, olive oil, mint, cumin, coriander, salt and garlic.
• Add lentils and toss to mix.
• Finely chop the remaining onion half and add to the lentils along with the roasted peppers.
• Chill at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to blend.
• Serve at room temperature or chilled.