Lemon Lentil Salad

How's the weather by you?  We've been having very unseasonably warm temps here in Northern NJ.  I'm excited to start firing up the grill more and switching gears a bit with what we've been eating.  With warmer weather comes lighter foods and cold dishes.  And I'm glad I discovered this one.

We love lentils in this house, and I've been meaning to start incorporating them in salads.  This will be a regular dish here from now on, and you can bet there will be lots more to come!  I brought the leftovers to work for lunch and they were even better the day after.

I served this with grilled Italian sausage...YUM.  I think it would go with lots of things...fish, chicken, pork tenderloin...whatever you like.  Plus, this is a great side dish to take to picnics - no mayo and easy to transport.

Try it soon!

Lemon Lentil Salad
adapted from Allrecipes

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups water
1 cup dried lentils, rinsed and picked through
1 bay leaf
1 tomato, diced
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley (which I forgot to add...oops!)
2 scallions, chopped

In a small bowl, combine first 9 ingredients and set aside.

Add water, lentils and bay leaf to a pot and bring to boil.  Reduce to simmer and cook, uncovered, until slightly tender, about 20 minutes.

Drain and discard bay leaf, and place in medium sized bowl or container.  Add tomato, parsley, scallions and dressing and stir gently.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Serves 4.