Beluga Lentil Salad Recipe

I love this lentil salad! It’s elegant and light. The beluga lentils stay firm and chewy and have a good mouth feel. I like the contrast of these tiny bursts of flavor with fresh herbs and chopped crunchy veggies. I give options for different types of herbs to create different flavor profiles — so you can choose depending on what you’ll be serving the lentil salad with. If you can’t find the beluga (black) lentils, French lentils work well as a substitution. For more info check my blog post here.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup dry black lentils, sorted

  • 1/2 tsp pink himilayan salt

  • 1/3 cup each chopped parsley

  • 1 tsp fresh thyme, leaves only or 1-2 tsp fresh tarragon chopped finely. OR 1/3 cup fresh basil or mint, chopped

  • 1 cup diced Persian cucumber

  • 1 cup chopped tomato (preferably grape or cherry tomatoes cut in quarters)

  • ½ cup diced red bell pepper

  • ½ cup diced yellow bell pepper

  • ½ cup finely diced red onion

  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

  • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar

  • 1 tsp dijon mustard

Directions

  1. Wash lentils and place in a medium saucepan. Cover with cold water and bring to a simmer over high heat. Reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer lentils until just tender, 20-25 minutes. Be sure to check frequently toward the end of cooking time because overcooking them will cause them to be mushy and unattractive. Drain and rinse under cool running water. Transfer the lentils to a large mixing bowl.

       

  2. Add fresh herbs, cucumber, tomato, bell pepper, red onion, salt and pepper, oil and vinegar, and toss to coat. Serve immediately or chill.