Warm Lentil and Roasted Red Pepper Salad
Ingredients
• 3 cups water
• 1 cup brown lentils
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• 1/2 cup diced, drained, and rinsed canned roasted sweet red pepper
• 1 medium stalk celery, diced
• 1/2 cup diced red onion
• 1 cup diced and seeded plum tomatoes
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Bring water, lentils, and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt to boil in 3-quart saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, until lentils are firm but fully cooked, 20 to 30 minutes. Meanwhile, mix parsley, sweet pepper, celery, onion, tomatoes, garlic, lemon juice, oil, black pepper, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt in large serving bowl.
Drain lentils, add to serving bowl, and toss. Serve warm.
Unlike most dried beans and other legumes, lentils require no soaking before cooking and in fact, if soaked first, will become mushy when cooked. However, you should always rinse lentils lightly in a sieve or colander before cooking and pick through with your fingers to be sure there are no stones or other debris in the batch.
Jerrie
