Lentil salad with cumin vinaigrette

This recipe was featured in my 5/21/23 Substack Newsletter

Lentil salad with cumin vinaigrette

This salad was inspired by “The Best Lentil Salad Ever” compliments of Sarah Britton (@mynewroots) and the PC salad from Milly’s (a beloved pizza parlor in our small town of Hancock, MI). Lentils are an amazing source of protein, folate, and fiber (particularly “resistant starches”). These slow-to-digest fibers feed a healthy gut microbiome and can also blunt blood sugar spikes. Win-win!

Lentil salad with mixed greens + cumin vinaigrette

Servings 8-10

2 cups green lentils

1/2 red onion, finely diced

1 gala apple, finely diced

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1/3 cup EVOO

1 tbsp pure maple syrup

1 tsp fine sea salt

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp ground coriander

Mix-ins: roasted sunflower seeds, dried cherries, goat cheese crumbles, & mixed spring greens (leaf lettuce, arugula, mustard greens, sorrel, etc)

Fill medium saucepan with 3 inches of water and add lentils to it. Bring to boil, reduce heat to low simmer, cover with lid, and cook for 15 mins until cooked (should still hold texture and be a bit chewy).

While lentils are cooking, assemble the dressing by placing these ingredients in a pint sized mason jar and shake well to combine: EVOO, ACV, salt, cumin, turmeric, coriander, maple syrup. Add a little bit of freshly cracked black pepper, if desired.

When the 15 minutes are up, strain lentils and rinse under cold water for 30 seconds to stop the cooking process. Remove from water and allow remaining water to drain while lentils cool.

Place cooled lentils in large mixing bowl. Add in apples, dried cherries, sunflower seeds, mixed greens, and goat cheese crumbles (optional). Pour over dressing and gently mix to combine.

The lentil salad improves with time as the flavors meld and keeps in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. It’s best to add fresh greens when serving if you are planning on leftovers