Today’s recipe is a great vegetarian main or side dish. Both brown & green lentils will work well in this recipe as they require no soaking, hold their shape extremely well, and cook in about 20 minutes. Lentils readily absorb the flavors of the seasonings and foods that are cooked with them.

Also part of this recipe are sun-dried tomatoes. Those are ripe tomatoes that are dried in the sun for 4-10 days to lose most of their water content. The umami-packed fruits keep their nutritional value and become a firecracker of flavor when they are processed this way. Originally a product of the Mediterranean region, sun-drying tomatoes was  a wonderful technique to  bring out the intense sweet & tart flavor of the tomatoes and preserve them for use throughout the year while retaining their versatile yet simple nature. The addition of sun-dried tomatoes to this salad is a perfect way to enjoy a flavorful dish at this time of the year when fresh produce is a distant memory.

Lentil & Sun-Dried Tomato Salad (adapted from abeautifulplate.com), Yield: 4 servings, Total Time Required: 30 minutes, Prep Time: 10 minutes, Cook Time: 20 minutes,

Ingredients:

• 1 large celery rib, finely diced
• 1 medium carrot, peeled, and finely diced
• 1 dried bay leaf
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 1 cup brown or green lentils, picked over and rinsed
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 cup raw walnuts
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest (from about 1/2 a lemon)
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 small red onion, finely diced
• 5 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup feta cheese

Instructions:

Combine the diced celery, diced carrot, bay leaf, garlic, rinsed and drained lentils, and kosher salt in a medium saucepan. Add cold water to the pot to cover the lentils by 2 to 3 inches.

Bring the mixture to a boil, stir it, and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook the lentils for about 15 minutes. It they are tender yet still firm, they are done. Cook for up to an additional 5 minutes if they are not yet tender. Drain the lentil salad in a fine-meshed sieve and discard the bay leaf. Transfer the lentils to a sheet pan, spreading them into a thin layer, and allow them to cool to room temperature.

Meanwhile, toast the walnuts on the stovetop. Preheat a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add the walnuts to the pan, and stir continuously until they are fragrant and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Remove them from the heat and immediately transfer the nuts to a bowl. Allow them to cool completely before roughly chopping them. Set the nuts aside.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the Dijon mustard, lemon zest, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, and extra virgin olive oil, until the dressing is emulsified.

Transfer the cooked lentil mixture to a large serving bowl.

Add the dressing to the bowl. Toss the mixture gently to coat.

Add the diced onion, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, parsley, dill, and toasted chopped walnuts to the mix. Toss gently to combine.

Add the feta cheese to the salad. Season the salad to taste with salt and pepper, then serve. Refrigerate the lentil salad in an airtight container for up to 3 days. This salad can be made up to 2 days ahead of time.

There’s summer goodness in this vegetarian dish!  ~Linda

Lentil & Sun-Dried Tomato Salad (adapted from abeautifulplate.com), Yield: 4 servings, Total Time Required: 30 minutes, Prep Time: 10 minutes, Cook Time: 20 minutes,

Ingredients:

• 1 large celery rib, finely diced
• 1 medium carrot, peeled, and finely diced
• 1 dried bay leaf
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 1 cup brown or green lentils, picked over and rinsed
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 cup raw walnuts
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest (from about 1/2 a lemon)
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 small red onion, finely diced
• 5 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup feta cheese

Instructions:

Combine the diced celery, diced carrot, bay leaf, garlic, rinsed and drained lentils, and kosher salt in a medium saucepan. Add cold water to the pot to cover the lentils by 2 to 3 inches.

Bring the mixture to a boil, stir it, and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook the lentils for about 15 minutes. It they are tender yet still firm, they are done. Cook for up to an additional 5 minutes if they are not yet tender. Drain the lentil salad in a fine-meshed sieve and discard the bay leaf. Transfer the lentils to a sheet pan, spreading them into a thin layer, and allow them to cool to room temperature.

Meanwhile, toast the walnuts on the stovetop. Preheat a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add the walnuts to the pan, and stir continuously until they are fragrant and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Remove them from the heat and immediately transfer the nuts to a bowl. Allow them to cool completely before roughly chopping. Set the nuts aside.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the Dijon mustard, lemon zest, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, and extra virgin olive oil, until the dressing is emulsified. Transfer the cooked lentil mixture to a large serving bowl and add the dressing to the bowl. Toss the mixture gently to coat. Add the diced onion, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, parsley, dill, and toasted chopped walnuts to the mix. Toss gently to combine. Season the salad to taste with salt and pepper, then serve. Refrigerate the lentil salad in an airtight container for up to 3 days. This salad can be made up to 2 days ahead of time.