Spicy Black Lentils with Feta and Green Sauce
Vibrant, tasty Mediterranean-style black lentils in a bold and spicy green herb sauce with chopped cucumber and feta cheese. Black lentils cook in about 20 minutes and keep well for days in the refrigerator.
Ingredients
Green Sauce
- 1 cup each Italian parsley and cilantro leaves loosely packed (or 2 cups of either herb)
- 1 jalapeño or serrano pepper chopped (leave the seeds in if you like it spicy)
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (125 ml) olive oil or avocado oil
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) red wine vinegar
Lentils
- 1 cup black or French-style lentils
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 Persian cucumbers diced into small cubes
- ½ red onion thinly sliced (½ cup)
- ½ cup fresh mint or Italian parsley leaves
- ½ cup (125 g) crumbled feta or goat cheese
Instructions
Make the sauce:
- Combine all ingredients in a high-speed blender or small food processor until very smooth.
Cook the lentils
- Bring 4 cups water to a boil with the salt. Add the lentils and cook 20-25 minutes. Taste-test: They should be tender but not mushy. Drain well and allow to cool to room temperature.
- Put the cucumbers, onion and lentils in a serving bowl. Add ⅓ cup of the green sauce and toss gently. Sprinkle the salad with the mint or parsley leaves and crumbled cheese and toss again.
- Serve the lentils with additional sauce spooned over.
Notes
- Pick through the lentils before cooking to be sure they don't contain an errant stone or twig (lentils are harvested from the ground so it happens sometimes)
- Substitute French lentils if you can't find black ones.
- Refrigerate leftover green sauce for up to 3 days. It's delicious on any salad or as a sauce all on its own.
Nutrition
Calories: 310kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 4gFat: 31gSodium: 569mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2g
