LENTIL SALAD RECIPE WITH GREEN OLIVES

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Put lentils in pan with 3 cups water, bring to very low simmer, and let cook until lentils are soft. (This will be about 30 minutes, but cooking times can vary quite a bit depending on how fresh the lentils are, so just keep tasting until they’re soft.)
2. Dump lentils into a colander and let drain about 15 minutes, then toss with 1 T each of olive oil, fresh lemon juice, and balsamic vinegar.
3. Let lentils marinate in this mixture while you prepare other ingredients.  (If you have plenty of time, marinate the lentils 20-30 minutes, but even a few minutes of marinating will add to the flavor.
4. Chop red bell pepper and green onions and place in medium-sized plastic or glass bowl.
5. Coarsely chop olives and add to bowl. (I used the bowl attachment of my immersion blender (affiliate link) to chop the olives, which worked well.)
6. Finely chop the Greek Oregano and Italian parsley.
7. Mix together remaining 1 T lemon juice, 1 T balsamic vinegar, Spike Seasoning (affiliate link), and sweet paprika, then whisk in 3 T olive oil.
8. Add marinated lentils to ingredients in the bowl and gently combine with dressing. (You may not need all the dressing, depending on how wet you prefer your salads.)
9. Gently stir the chopped herbs into the salad. Season to taste with salt and fresh ground black pepper.
10. This will keep in the refrigerator for a few days, although I like it best when the fresh ingredients still have a little crunch.