lentil salad with feta and sun-dried tomatoes

I adore lentils.  Recently, I feel like I’ve seen a lot of food bloggers bemoaning how ugly lentils are, but I’m so blinded by my love for lentils it doesn’t matter to me what they look like.  A touch of pomegranate molasses is the secret ingredient to this salad, as it adds a wonderfully sweet and tart kick.  Pomegranate molasses can easily be found at Middle Eastern groceries, co-ops, and gourmet groceries like Whole Foods.  There’s always the option of making your own pomegranate molasses.  In fact, it’s not even molasses at all, but a syrup made from pomegranate juice and sugar.  Elise of Simply Recipes has a recipe for it here.  Also, I found that this salad needed very little salt, since feta cheese is so salty.

Lentil Salad with Feta and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
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1 cup black beluga lentils (brown lentils and French green lentils can be used as substitutes)
1 small red onion, chopped
water, for soaking (optional)
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup freshly chopped herbs (one or more of the following: parsley, mint, basil)
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
2 teaspoons pomegranate molasses
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt & pepper, to taste

Give the lentils a quick rinse and add them to a stockpot with three cups of salted water.  Bring the water to a gentle boil and simmer the lentils for 15-20 minutes, or until ‘al dente’.

Meanwhile, chop the onions, place them in a colander, and give them a quick rinse in cold water. This step is completely optional, but doing this helps take off the edge from eating the onions raw.  Transfer the onions to a large mixing bowl.

Now, chop the tomatoes and the herbs and toss them in the large bowl, along with the feta cheese. Once the lentils are ready, drain them in a colander and gently fold them into the mixing bowl.  Gently stir in the pomegranate molasses, olive oil, salt, and pepper until everything is coated.  Season to taste, adding a little more oil or salt, if needed.  Serve warm or cold.

Serves 4-6

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Related posts:

1. feta and cucumber salad
2. bulgur and lentil salad
3. pomegranate and potato salad
4. lentil and tomato soup
5. lentil soup with tomatoes and swiss chard

Tags: easy, gluten-free, salad, side dish, vegetarian