Author Notes
This recipe hits the sweet spot for weeknight dinner planning: It's simple, quick, easy to make ahead, healthful, and—most importantly—packed with big flavors. The fresh mint brings a sunny breeze of springtime into dinner, no matter what time of year you have it. If you are making this dish ahead of time, I recommend waiting to add the fresh mint until right before serving for maximum minty impact. I recommend small black lentils for this dish, but green or brown will work, too. The important thing is that you use lentils with the skin still on—otherwise they'll be too mushy to use in the salad. —vrunka
Test Kitchen Notes
The perfect quick light weekend lunch on a chilly day in early spring. For so few ingredients, the flavors are full, complex, and balanced—the earthy lentils, salty feta, sweet sun-dried tomatoes, and bright lemon, all complimented by the aromatic freshness of mint. Each bite brings a variety of joyful textures. We ate it with fresh whole-grain bread for lunch, then enjoyed what little was left over stuffed into pitas and topped with spicy harissa the next day. —Annabelle
Ingredients
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1 cup
dry lentils (or 2 cups cooked)
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Zest and juice of 2 small (or 1 large) lemons
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8 ounces
crumbled feta cheese
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1/4 cup
oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, minced
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1/2 cup
minced mint leaves (leave a few whole leaves for garnish, if you like)
Directions
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Rinse the lentils. Place them in a pot with 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil and then cover and reduce to a simmer. Cook until just tender, about 15 minutes (this will vary depending on the variety of lentil you're using). Drain and rinse with cold water. This should yield about 2 cups prepared lentils.
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In a large salad bowl, toss all the remaining ingredients together. Top with whole mint leaves.
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