This salad is a slightly modified version of the one on Kathleen Ashmore’s site. I LOVED this salad. I hadn’t really thought of putting lentils in a salad, but it really works. They add great texture and it really makes this salad unique. The real star of this recipe is the dressing though.
The original recipe calls for toasted walnuts. I happened to have some pecans I had toasted for something else, so I used those instead. The dressing is fairly simple, but the ingredients come together in such a satisfying and delicious way. I will definitely use this dressing again on other salads.
I used coleslaw mix for the cabbage here because it is easy and also adds some carrots. I also added some arugula which I think really boosted the flavor of the salad. I topped it with some grilled chicken to fill up the kids, but I could have totally eaten this without any added protein.
Lentil Chopped Salad with Honey Pecan Dressing
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 1 cup green lentils
- 1 bag coleslaw mix
- 2 cups arugula
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes halved
- 6 scallions sliced
- 2/3 cup crumbled feta
For the dressing:
- 1/3 cup toasted nuts Pecans, almonds, walnuts
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- salt and pepper
- 1 clove garlic
Instructions
For the dressing:
- Blend all ingredients in a small blender until smooth. Taste and season with salt and pepper. The dressing will have a little texture from the nuts, this is ok.
For the salad:
- Fill a pot with water and some salt to taste and bring to a boil. Add the lentils, reduce to a simmer and cook for 30-40 minutes until they are tender, but not falling apart. You want them to maintain their structure in the salad. Drain the lentils and rinse with cold water to cool them down. Allow to sit until cooled to room temp before adding to the salad.
- Toss the other salad ingredients in a big bowl. Add the cooled lentils and toss. Add the dressing and gently toss the whole thing. We ate the leftovers for 2 days out of the fridge and the salad was still great.