Crunchy Lentil Salad Recipes

Steps:

• Combine lentils, water and bay leaf in saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook, uncovered for 15 minutes (or until lentils are tender but crunchy). Drain thoroughly.
• Mix lentils with minced celery, carrot, onion and parsley. NOTE: This salad is much better if you make sure all vegetables are finely diced; the flavors blend much better than if you've used a regular-to-large dice.
• Mix the dressing: Mix olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, thyme, cumin, salt and pepper. Pour over lentils and toss.
• You can serve this right away, but the flavors blend beautifully if you refrigerate for a day or two. Serve at room temperature.

Steps:

• Rinse the lentils and put them in a saucepan with plenty of lightly salted water and the bay leaf. Bring to a boil, decrease the heat to a simmer, and cook for about 20 - 25 minutes, until the lentils are tender but still have a good crunch/bite to them. Be careful to not overcook them.
• While the lentils are cooking, make the dressing. Mix the vinegar, mustard, oil, garlic, salt and pepper to taste. Adjust the dressing as you like to your taste preferences.
• Drain the lentils well and mix them into the dressing while still warm, stirring to cook the lentils. Remove the bay leaf and let cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.
• Add in the walnuts and green onion. Taste, and add additional salt, if desired. I serve the salad at room temperature or warm. The salad can be made up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated. Let it come to room temperature before serving; it may need to be re-seasoned once refrigerated.