I guess I’m stuck on salads lately – I promise to diversify soon, but you can obviously see I’m excited for summer to get here. Even though we get a lot of fresh produce in Boise year-round, the warm weather gets me fired up to put in a garden and start hitting our local weekend markets. Some of my favorite ingredients in any dish are cilantro, lentils, fresh tomatoes and cumin. This salad has it all. I have not figure out the fiber content, but I’m sure Heidi will be giving me high marks in the fiber category. And, we all know how that benefits our bodies – especially at this age. Menopause brings “diversity” in our bowel habits and this recipe is a great jump starter. So, have I ruined your appetite?
This recipe yields a hefty amount (i.e. salad to consume) in the end, so I like making and eating it for lunch or as a side dish all week. Sometimes I even leave off the dressing because all of these salad ingredients mix together for a tasty naked dish.
So, you decide why you want to make this salad. Either way, I have confidence it will be on your “salad as a meal” list because as usual – I love simple, easy recipes.
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry lentils
- 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 yellow bell pepper
- 1/2 small red onion
- 2 roma tomatoes
- 1 large bunch of cilantro, washed and stemmed
- Dressing:
- Juice of 1 lime
- 2 T olive oil
- 1 t dijon mustard
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 t cumin
- 1/2 t oregano
- Salt to taste
- 2 grinds of fresh black pepper
Instructions
- Cook lentils according to the directions on the package, firm vs. mushy. Drain.
- While lentils are cooking, make the dressing. Place all ingredients in the blender and combine.
- Finely dice the bell pepper, onion and tomatoes and cilantro (although, I like my cilantro chopped chunky). Place in a large bowl and mix in the dressing.
- Serve immediately or chill covered in the fridge for at least an hour for a flavorful, marinated salad.
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