The Best Lentil Salad, Ever

This recipe was created by Sarah Britton and posted on the My New Roots blog. She calls it the best lentil salad ever, and I have to agree. I serve this over a small bed of baby arugula, and top the salad with some crumbled goat cheese for a healthy, tasty meatless meal. Other optional add-ins mentioned by Sarah are walnuts, fresh herbs & sprouts.

• Ready In: 30 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 8  ounces dry lentils
• 3  tablespoons olive oil
• 2  tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1⁄2 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1⁄2 tablespoon stone ground mustard
• 1  teaspoon salt
• 1  teaspoon pepper
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1⁄4 teaspoon turmeric
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1⁄8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1⁄8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1⁄8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1⁄8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1⁄2 red onion, finely diced
• 1⁄2 cup dried cranberries or 1⁄2 cup raisins or 1⁄2 cup dried currant
• 3  tablespoons capers, drained

Directions

1. Rinse lentils well, drain. Place in a pot and cover with a 3-4 inches of water, bring to a boil, reduce to simmer. Check lentils for doneness after 10 minutes, but they should take about 15 minutes in total. You will know they are cooked if they still retain a slight tooth – al dente! (Overcooking the lentils is the death of this dish) Drain & rinse the lentils under cold water and set aside.
2. In a small bowl, make the dressing by whisking together the olive, vinegar, maple syrup, mustard and all the spices (salt through cinnamon).
3. In a large serving bowl, gently combine the lentils and dressing. Add the onions, cranberries and capers and stir to combine well. If using other add-ins such as herbs, greens, or cheese, wait to add until just before serving. Otherwise, this salad can hang out in the fridge for as long as a couple days!