Veggie-Packed Lentil Salad

Ingredients:

For the vinaigrette:

  • ⅓ cup olive oil

  • ¼ cup apple cider vinegar

  • 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup, – grade A

  • 1 teaspoon fine salt, or to taste

  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

  • ½ teaspoon ground coriander

  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin

  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

  • ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric

  • ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom

  • ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional

    For the lentils:

  • 1 cup brown or green lentils, rinsed and picked through (roughly 2 – 2 ½ cups cooked)

  • ½ teaspoon fine salt, or to taste

  • ⅛ teaspoon ground cumin

  • 1 bay leaf

  • For the salad:

  • 1 large crown broccoli, cut into bite size pieces (10 to 12 ounces)

  • 1 medium carrot, grated

  • ½ medium red bell pepper, diced small

  • ¼ cup red onion, minced

  • 1 large clove garlic, minced

    Instructions:

    Make the vinaigrette

  • In a large stain-resistant mixing bowl, whisk all of the ingredients for the vinaigrette and set the bowl to the side until the lentils are done.

    Cook the lentils:

  • Fill a medium sauce pan or pot with 4 cups of water over medium heat. Add the lentils, salt, ground cumin, and bay leaf. Bring to a rapid boil, lower the heat to medium-low and cover the pot. Simmer until the lentils are soft, but not mushy, 20 to 30 minutes.

    Drain the lentils and discard or compost the bay leaf. Transfer the lentils to the large mixing bowl and lightly toss them in with the vinaigrette and set the bowl to the side for the lentils to cool.

  • Blanch the broccoli

    Meanwhile, bring a separate medium sauce pan or pot of salted water to a rapid boil. Add in the broccoli and blanch it until bright green and just until fork tender, about 2 minutes. Drain the broccoli and place it in an ice bath to stop the cooking process. Once cooled, drain again. If you’d like for your broccoli to be in smaller pieces, transfer it to a chopping board and give it a rough chop.

    Combine the salad

  • Add the broccoli, along with the rest of the ingredients for the salad into the large mixing bowl and lightly give them a toss together. Taste and season with more salt, if needed.

  • Cover and let the salad become good friends and marry with the vinaigrette for at least 15 minutes. Trust me...it will love you for it.

  • Serve and enjoy your best lentil salad loving life.