Lentil Salad
This Lentil Salad features hearty lentils and chopped onions tossed in a light Italian dressing. Fresh and nutritious, it pairs perfectly with juicy tomatoes and crisp cucumbers.
Ingredients
- 2 cups dry lentils
- 6 cups water
- 1 medium onion
- 1 bay leaf (optional)
- 1 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
- ½ cup low-fat Italian salad dressing
- 1 medium tomato (optional)
- ½ medium cucumber (optional)
- black pepper (optional)
Instructions
- Clean the kitchen area and wash hands with soap and water.
- Gently rub fresh produce under cold running water. Scrub firm fresh produce with a clean vegetable brush under cold running water. If using fresh herbs, gently rinse under cold running water and pat dry with a clean paper towel.
- Chop onion, tomato (optional), and cucumber (optional) into ½-inch pieces. Set aside.
- Rinse lentils.
- Add lentils, water, onion, and bay leaf (optional) to a pan on the stove.
- Bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat and simmer.
- Cook covered for 15 minutes or until lentils are tender.
- Drain and cool.
- Remove the bay leaf.
- Combine lentils with parsley, Italian dressing, tomatoes (optional), and cucumbers (optional).
- Season with pepper to taste. Toss thoroughly.
- Refrigerate to chill before serving.
Storage
- Refrigerate any leftovers as soon as possible or within 2 hours for safety.
- Use leftovers within 4 days.
Video
Notes
- Some packaged foods contain manufacturer’s instructions for cooking. These instructions must be followed before using the product, especially before adding them to ready-to-eat (RTE) food. Frozen vegetables are an example. They frequently contain cooking instructions from the manufacturer and are often intended for use only after cooking. It is especially important to follow these instructions when using the frozen vegetables to make RTE foods, such as salads. If the vegetables contain a pathogen and the food is not cooked, the pathogen could multiply and cause foodborne illness.
- For more information about food and beverage storage, go to the FoodKeeper Website or App (FoodSafety.gov).
The Nutrition Facts Label does not include optional ingredients.
