I love making side dishes, especially in the summertime as I can eat them as a full meal!  This recipe for lentil salad is super healthy, easy (thanks to Trader Joes) and can be made in less than 10 minutes.

You can serve this lentil salad as a side dish but also as an appetizer (if you are serving it as an appetizer, serve it with potato chips or with pretzel crisps).

Benefits of Lentils:

• Great for vegetarians as they are a good protein
• Lentils have been found to lower your cholesterol
• They are high in fiber which can help in weight loss
• Lentils are versatile as you can use them for soups or side dishes

Living near a Trader Joes helps as they have prepared lentils…if you need to make your own lentils, follow the package instructions or here are some guidelines to help you.

Basic Instructions to Cook Lentils:

1. Lentils to do not require soaking
2. Rinse your lentils with fresh water before boiling to remove any dust or debris
3. Cook on a stovetop, using 3 cups of liquid (water, stock, etc) to 1 cup of dry lentils
4. Bring to a boil, cover tightly, reduce heat and simmer until they are tender 15-20 minutes

For my recipe I used the pre-packed lentils

I broke up the lentils and placed them in a large bowl

I then made a quick batch of bruschetta (I did a post on bruschetta with feta, this is not that recipe but I had leftover tomatoes and basil)

I mixed it all together…and here is the finished product

Everyone loves this recipe, it’s super easy to make, it’s healthy and again for the vegetarians this is the perfect option for protein.  This lentil recipe is great because it’s nice and hearty and can be served as an appetizer or a side dish.  This is a “go-to” recipe for sure that everyone loves, I always try to put some fresh basil on top as the salad needs a little “punch” to look pretty.

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Thank you again ~ Patty Limatola-Tanenbaum