Lentil Salad with Oranges and Feta

Hello! Welcome. Today I have a salad that when I tasted it, I thought “where have you been all my life?” I could eat this salad any time of year, for any meal of the day and not only feel satisfied, but also feel energized by its flavors and lightness. A miracle salad? Maybe. I blame the lentils. So good for you and so versatile, lentils are a quality source of plant based protein proven to stabilize blood sugar levels, lower cholesterol and they are rich in dietary fiber. No wonder they are energizing! Let’s get to this super simple Lentil Salad with Oranges and Feta.

Lentils

Soak 1 cup of lentils in warm water and 2 teaspoons of kosher salt for 1 hour. While they soak, arrange an oven rack to the center position, with enough room to place a covered saucepan on the rack. Then, preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. After a one hour soak, drain the lentils and transfer them to a medium saucepan. Cover the lentils with 4 cups of water and add 1 teaspoon of kosher salt. Cover and transfer the saucepan to the preheated oven and bake the lentils for 40-50 minutes. Then drain the lentils well and set aside.

Vinaigrette

In a large bowl, whisk together the minced onion or shallot, honey, dried mint, vinegar, and kosher salt. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking to create an emulsified vinaigrette. Set the vinaigrette aside.

Prep the Ingredients

Prep the veggies. Slice the celery thinly, on a diagonal; slice a red onion into very thin half-moon slices, then slice those half-moons in half crosswise. For the orange, slice the ends off and place one of the flat ends down. Use a utility knife to slice away the peel and pith. Then slice the orange in half. Slice away the center pith. Then slice each half into 1/2-inch wedges. Slice each wedge into 1/4 to 1/2-inch pieces. Toast 1/2 cup of pecans over medium-low heat just until they are fragrant. Then roughly chop the pecans.

Assembling the Lentil Salad with Oranges and Feta

Now add the the drained lentils to the bowl with the vinaigrette. Toss the warm lentils in the dressing. Then add the prepped celery, onion, pecans and orange.

Toss to combine and coat everything in the vinaigrette. Then add crumbled feta and torn fresh mint leaves. Toss again to combine. Transfer the salad to a serving plate.

Top the plated Lentil Salad with Oranges and Feta with a few more feta crumbles and torn fresh mint leaves. Season with fresh cracked pepper.

Lentil Salad with Oranges and Feta

While this salad is a perfect Mediterranean dish for right now, it would make a great holiday side too. Serve warm, at room temp or cold, it’s versatile and I bet you can think of 101 ways to make it your own! Another great salad that eats like a full meal is Herby Chicken and Rice Salad. Give that one a try too! Take care and be well, xo Kelly

Key Equipment

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Lentil Salad with Oranges and Feta

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Dinner, Main Course, Side Dish, Salad – Mediterranean

By America's Test Kitchen – Serves: 2-6

Prep Time: 15 Minutes – Cooking Time: 45-50 Minutes – Total Time: ~1 Hour

With superfood lentils as the base for this beautiful salad, Mediterranean flavors come together to create a perfect protein-rich salad.

Ingredients

• 1 cup Dried Brown Lentils, picked over and rinsed
• 2 tsp. Kosher Salt, for soaking the lentils
• 4 cups Water
• 1 tsp. Kosher Salt, for cooking lentils
• Vinaigrette
• 3 tbsp. Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 Shallot, minced (or 2 tbsp. minced red onion)
• 1 tbsp. Honey
• 1/2 tsp. Dried Mint
• 1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt
• Salad
• 2 Celery Ribs, sliced thin on a diagonal
• 1 Orange, peel and pith cut away, halves cut into 8 wedges, wedges sliced crosswise into 1/4-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup Toasted Pecans, chopped
• 1 oz. Feta Cheese, crumbled, plus a little more to top
• Torn Fresh Mint Leaves
• Fresh Cracked Pepper

Instructions

1

Soak 1 cup of lentils in warm water and 2 teaspoons of kosher salt for 1 hour. While they soak, arrange an oven rack to the center position, with enough room to place a covered saucepan on the rack. Then, preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. After a one hour soak, Drain the lentils and transfer them to a medium saucepan. Cover the lentils with 4 cups of water and add 1 teaspoon of kosher salt. Cover and transfer the saucepan to the preheated oven and bake the lentils for 40-50 minutes. Then drain the lentils well and set aside.

2

In a large bowl, whisk together the minced onion or shallot, honey, dried mint, vinegar, and kosher salt. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking to create an emulsified vinaigrette. Set the vinaigrette aside.

3

Add the the drained lentils to the bowl with the vinaigrette. Toss the warm lentils in the dressing. Then add the prepped celery, onion, pecans and orange.

4

Toss to combine and coat everything in the vinaigrette. Then add crumbled feta and torn fresh mint leaves. Toss again to combine. Transfer the salad to a serving plate.

5

Top the plated Lentil Salad with Oranges and Feta with a few more feta crumbles and torn fresh mint leaves. Season with fresh cracked pepper.

6

Serve warm, cold or at room temperature.

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