[Xabia Jim]

Sautéed Lentil Salad

….….I looked at lentil salad recipes and made my own version! There are many different versions – Spanish, Moroccan, Greek, Mediterranean, Indian - lots of options!

A lot of recipes cook the ingredients together with the lentils. I started with cooked lentils since I already had them in the freezer. The idea was to have more crunch with the stir fry vegetables instead of cooked mush.

Finely dice vegetables and sauté in olive oil using a large fry pan:

1 cup carrots
1 cup celery
1 cup red onion
2-4 cloves of garlic, to taste
2 bay leaves (remove later before serving)
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
Black pepper to taste

Add by stirring in to warm but not cook:

3 cups cooked lentils
Chopped parlsey leaves
1 cup of diced tomatoes
Dash of curry powder
Black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons Olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine or apple cider vinegar and/or Lemon Juice

Serve immediately warm, or later chilled.

Notes / Options / What would I change?

I’d remember to add the lemon juice! But the vinegar did fine.
Lentils could be cooked in a stock instead of water.
Some recipes use dressings instead of the olive oil and vinegar/lemon juice.
Maybe some diced peppers, olives, or cucumber.
Garbanzo or Black Beans would be a twist.
Feta cheese too.
Other fresh herbs like Cilantro? Mint? Lime juice?
Maybe some brown rice or whole wheat orzo pasta?

This can be a very versatile dish. It’s very good, filling and nutritious
…and you know I really didn’t measure anything, so adjust to your tastes!