Summer Lentil Salad Recipe

Prep Time: 5 mins

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked green lentils*
1 1/2 cup tomato bruschetta*
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 additional tablespoon feta cheese
6 basil leaves (torn)

Lentil Salad
In a large bowl combine lentils, tomato bruschetta and 1/3 cup feta cheese. Toss. Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with 1 tablespoon of feta and basil. Serve salad at room temp. Makes approximately 3 1/2 cups.

Lentils & Eggs
Place left over lentil salad in a small pot and warm over medium low heat being careful not to overheat. Meanwhile, fry an egg in a non-stick skillet. Transfer warm lentils to a plate and slide fried egg on top.

Pasta with Lentils
Place left over lentil salad in a large non-stick skillet over medium low heat being careful not to overheat. Meanwhile, boil your pasta of choice and cook al dente. Drain pasta and add to skillet. Combine pasta and lentils and transfer to serving bowl. Garnish with some additional feta and torn basil.

* To save on time we used Trader Joe’s Steamed Lentils and jarred Tomato Bruschetta. This recipe is just as good when you make your own. To make the lentils, start with 1 cup dry green lentils. Rinse and transfer to a pot. Add 1 cup vegetable broth and 2 cups water. Add a bay leaf and 2 whole peeled garlic cloves. Bring to a boil. Turn down the heat as soon as they start to boil. Make sure the heat remains low and continue to cook until lentils are tender but not mushy. This will take 20 to 30 minutes. Take them off the heat, remove garlic and bay leaf and add salt and pepper to taste. Let them rest for 15 to 20 minutes, then you can cool them completely. To make the Tomato Bruschetta combine 1 can good diced roasted tomatoes (drained), 1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 minced garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon distilled vinegar, fresh basil and salt and pepper to taste.