Thursday, March 1, 2012

Cilantro, Lime and Lentil Salad



I got this recipe from my daughter's diabetes specialist's office last summer where they usually have some recipes that people can take that feature healthier diet choices. This recipe caught my eye because I have really come to enjoy the flavors of cilantro and lime and am also trying to incorporate more beans into my family's diet. The recipe originally called for 1 pound of lentils, but it ended up being such a huge amount that I decided to adjust it down to 1/2 pound. Even this amount makes a large salad. I also increased most of the other ingredients in the recipe and added some olive oil. However, my husband and I enjoyed eating this like a dip with chips or crackers, as well as as a salad. I have posted this recipe with the changes I made and am not sure who made the original recipe. The nice thing about this recipe is that you can add a number of different vegetables

Ingredients:

1/2 pound lentils, sorted and rinsed
1/4 - 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped (I used approximately 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup minced red onion
juice of 1-2 limes (adjust to taste)
2-3 medium or large tomatoes, diced (may substitute canned diced tomatoes)
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
3-4 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 - 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 - 1 1/2 tsp salt, or adjusted to taste (I used Adobo seasoned salt)
1 Tbsp cumin (may start with less and adjust to taste)
1/2 cup chopped cucumber
1/4 cup chopped bell peppers
hot pepper sauce (green or red) to taste

Directions:

     Simmer lentils in 6 cups of water until soft, about 25-30 minutes. Drain any excess liquid. Cool. Add the remaining ingredients together in a bowl and toss. Add in the cooled lentils and stir well. 

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Ladybird Ln
Also shared on Simple Lives Thursday # 87

5 comments:

  1. Mmmm! I'm adding this to my camp cook book! I'm pretty sure the treeplanters I cook for in the summer will love it! Now to do the calculations to serve 50! I'm following you now through the Pinterest Blog Party!

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  2. I really love salads with lentils, they add so much texture and nutritional value to the salad. Thank you for sharing this one.

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  3. This looks really good. Cilantro is something I never really used a lot until I grew it in my garden last year. Like you though, I have come to love the combination of cilantro and lime. I am bookmarking your recipe. Looks like it would make a good lunch!

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  4. This sounds great! I've not been adventurous enough to try lentils yet but this sounds like the perfect recipe to try!

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  5. I've never had lentils, but I sure love all the other ingredients in this dish! Sounds yummy.

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