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5 from 3 votes

The Best Lentil Salad, Ever

Ingredients

Salad

  • 2 ¼ cups 1 lb. Du Puy lentils
  • 1 medium red onion diced
  • 1 cup dried currants you could also use raisins or other dried fruit
  • ⅓ cup capers

Vinaigrette

  • ⅓ cup cold pressed extra virgin olive oil
  • ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp. maple syrup
  • 1 Tbsp. strong mustard
  • 2 tsp. salt
  • 2 tsp. pepper
  • 1 tsp. ground cumin
  • ½ tsp. turmeric
  • ½ tsp. ground coriander
  • ½ tsp ground cardamom
  • ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
  • ¼ tsp. ground cloves
  • ¼ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
  • ¼ tsp. ground cinnamon

Optional add-ins

  • Arugula
  • Walnuts
  • Goat cheese
  • Fresh herbs: flat-leaf parsley cilantro, basil
  • Sprouts
  • Roasted seasonal veggies

Instructions

  • Rinse lentils well, drain. Place in a pot and cover with a 3-4 inches of water, bring to a boil, reduce to simmer. Check lentils for doneness after 15 minutes, but they should take about 20 minutes in total. You will know they are cooked if they still retain a slight tooth – al dente! Overcooking the lentils is the death of this dish. Be careful!
  • While the lentils are simmering, make the dressing by placing all ingredients in a jar with a tight fitting lid and shake vigorously to combine.
  • Finely dice red onion - the salad is best if all the ingredients are about the same size. If using raisins, chop them roughly to make them a bit smaller, and do the same with the capers if they are large.
  • When the lentils are cooked, remove from heat, drain and place under cold running water to stop the cooking process. Once cooled slightly but still a little warm, place lentils in a large serving bowl and toss with dressing. Add other onion, capers, and currants. If using other add-ins such as herbs, greens, or cheese, wait until just before serving. Otherwise, this salad can hang out in the fridge for a couple days.
Sarah Britton