Marinated Lentil Salad with Orange-Balsamic Dressing and Olives

Orange and olives make for a wonderfully exotic tasting combination. In this dish the lentils are cooked for a shorter time than usual, then marinated in the dressing overnight. If you’re short on time, go ahead and assemble the whole thing - it will still have great flavour.

Category:

Salads, Soups & Stews

Pulse/Diet:

Lentils, Gluten-free

Ingredients

For 8 Serving(s)

Ingredients

250 ml dry green lentils
125 ml olive or canola oil
60 ml orange juice
30 ml balsamic vinegar
1/2 ml salt
1 garlic clove, crushed but left whole
1 large bunch of flat-leaf parsley, large stems discarded, remainder coarsely chopped
125 ml pitted Kalamata olives, coarsely chopped
160 ml feta cheese, crumbled or diced
1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, quartered
60 ml pine nuts (chopped walnuts may be substituted if you wish)
1/2 to 1 orange, grated zest of

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, bring the lentils to a boil with enough water to cover by about an inch. Once the pot has reached a boil, reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for about 20-25 minutes, or until the lentils are al dente. Drain and let cool.

2. While the lentils are cooking, whisk together the oil, orange juice, balsamic vinegar and salt in a medium bowl. Add the garlic clove, and let rest until the lentils are cool. Remove the garlic clove, then add the cooled lentils and toss well to combine. Place in the refrigerator overnight or up to two days to marinate if possible, stirring once or twice.

3. When you’re ready to proceed with the salad, add the remaining ingredients to the bowl with the marinated lentils, and toss well.