Green Lentil Salad is a healthy and light vegan salad, packed with protein and many vitamins, necessary for your body. This salad recipe is great as a side salad or meze. Nar Ekşisi is concentrated pomegranate juice and it is optional for this salad. Pomegranates, especially if eaten fresh can be helpful to your immune system, lower cholesterol.

Turkish Green Lentil Salad Recipe
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Green Lentil Salad

This lentil salad recipe is light and healthy, perfect for any time all year around.
Prep Time2 hrs 15 mins
Cook Time30 mins
Total Time2 hrs 45 mins
Course: Salad
Cuisine: Turkey
Keyword: green lentils
Servings: 4
Calories: 130kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 cup green lentils (around 200g)
  • 1 bunch spring onions, trimmed, cleaned and finely chopped
  • 1 red onion quartered and cut into thin slices
  • 1 large tomato (or two medium ones), deseeded and diced
  • 2 red pickled chillies, finely chopped (optional)
  • ½ tsp ground cumin
  • ½ bunch flat leaf parsley roughly chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled and grated
  • 1 tsp chilli flakes
  • ½ tsp dried mint

For The Salad Dressing

  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • small pinch of salt and black pepper
  • 2 tsp vinegar you can use grape vinegar or white wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • ½ tsp nar ekşisi (sour pomegranate sauce - optional)

Instructions

For The Salad

  • If you are making the salad plan it ahead since you have to soften the lentil by soaking the green lentils in water for a few hours.
  • The next step is to drain all the water from your green lentils.
  • Turn the oven to medium heat and add a pot filled up with 3 cups of water. After it starts boiling, add your lentils.
  • Now cover the pot and let it cook for around 30 minutes and from time to time check to be sure the lentils are not getting stick and breaking.
  • When they are ready you can use a colander to drain them and have cold water going through to cool them down.
  • Now grab a serving bowl and add your lentils.
  • Add the rest of the ingredients to the bowl and mix together, but leave the tomatoes.
  • Chop the tomato and spread them over the top.

For The Salad Dressing

  • Use a small jar to mix together the ingredients for your dressing.
  • Adjust if necessary upon your taste.
  • Add the dressing over the bowl with salad and mix everything gently.

Notes

Optional ingredients are nar ekşisi and pickled chillies.

Inspiration and adaptation: turkeysforlife.com, lentils.org, mayoclinic.org

Explore other recipes from the traditional Turkish cuisine.

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