Title: Mediterranean Lentil Salad
Categories: Salad Vegetarian Main
Yield: 1 Servings

1	c	Brown or green lentils
4	c	Water
2		Bay leaves
1	ts	Fresh thyme (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
2		Cloves garlic, peeled
1/3	c	Sun-dried tomatoes (NOT packed in oil) Boiling water
1/2	c	Diced celery
1/2	c	Diced red or yellow bell pepper
1/4	c	Minced red onion
1/2	c	Chopped fresh parsley

DRESSING: 1/3 cup olive oil 3 Tbl red wine vinegar 1 tsp ground fennel 1 tsp (rounded) Dijon mustard Salt and ground black pepper, to taste

Rinse the lentils. Place the lentils, water, bay leaves, thyme and garlic in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 20 minutes.

While the lentils simmer, cover the sun-dried tomatoes with boiling water in a heatproof bowl and set aside. Combine the celery, pepper, onion and parsley in a large bowl. Whisk the dressing ingredients in another bowl until smooth. When the sun-dried tomatoes have softened, drain and mince them; add to the vegetables.

Drain the cooked lentils and discard the bay leaves. Remove the garlic and mash it; mix it back into the lentils. Toss the lentils with the vegetables and the dressing. Adjust the seasonings, if necessary. Serve immediately, or cover and chill to serve later.

"Serve this nutritious salad on a bed of lettuce, topped with feta cheese and olives and surrounded by tomato wedges and cucumber slices." Salad per 8-ounce serving: 277 calories; 15.3 g protein; 6.3 g fat; 44.8 g carbohydrate; 120 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol.

Dressing per 2-ounce serving: 343 calories; 0.3 g protein; 38.1 g fat; 1/9 g carbohydrate; 602 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol.

NOTE: "Perhaps not gorgeous, but definitely tasty. With a little stock and some extra sesonings, leftovers can easily become lentil soup."

[Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home; The Moosewood Collective] [A Fireside Book; 1994; ISBN 0-671-87954-5 {0-671-67992-9 PBK}]

Posted by Fred Peters.

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