Is it hot by you? Man, its super hot here in Southern California. Today its a steamy 95 + so Eric and I been living on salads this week. Even too hot for the BBQ. Here’s my all time FAV salad….
I have been making this Broccoli Lentil Salad for years. The original recipe is long gone but I have made it so many times I know it by heart. It all started over 20 years ago with an organic produce coop. Have you ever belonged to an organic produce coop? Those were popular years ago when you couldn’t find organic fruits and veggies easily in the grocery stores. Coops are still around today but I don’t think most people like receiving a surprise box of produce each week.
Back then, when my kids were little, I loved opening that box of produce not knowing what I had in store for the week. I remember my kids asking if they ever left any cookies. My son Jeffrey thought that wasn’t nice. But what was nice is that produce coop was my first introduction to this recipe. One week they left me a fresh head of broccoli and had it wrapped with this a variation of this one.
What I loved about it then and still do today is it keeps for a few days in the refrigerator and doesn’t get mushy. So I make a batch and eat it for lunch for days. The lentils are packed with protein and fiber so it’s a meatless dish that keeps you full. And it tastes so darn good! In fact, I start to crave this after a month of not having it around. It’s a keeper! I hope you like it too!
Ingredients
- 1 cup lentils, dry and uncooked
- 4 cups water
- 4 cups broccoli, chopped
- 1 small red onion, chopped
- 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
- ¼ cup dried cherries, cranberries or raisins
- 1 package Ranch dressing
- 6 ounces plain Greek non-fat yogurt
- ½ cup light mayonnaise
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add lentils and water to a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 25 minutes or until tender. Pour into a colander and drain off any unabsorbed water. Let cool.
- Combine broccoli, red onion, carrots, and dried fruit in a large bowl and set aside.
- In a small bowl combine Ranch dressing, yogurt and mayonnaise.
- Add half the dressing mixture to the chopped veggies and the cooled lentils. Toss and combine. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Yep, you will have about a ½ cup leftover of very concentrated Ranch dip to use in other things. If you want to use as a salad dressing, just add some milk to make it more pour-able. Store the unused portion of this dip/dressing in your refrigerator.
To download my recipe please click here.
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