Caribbean Cold Lentil Salad

Course: Entrees, Salads
Difficulty: Easy
Pulse Type: Lentils
Specialty Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Occasion: Summer Salads
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Print

Ingredients

Salad:

  • 1 cup lentils, brown uncooked
  • 3 cups water
  • 1 8 oz can pineapple tidbits; drained, but keep the juice. (About 2/3 cup packed tidbits.)
  • 1/2 cup cilantro roughly chopped
  • 1/2 cup onion red, minced
  • 1 tsp salt sea
  • 1/2 cup coconut chips

Dressing:

  • 1/4 cup pineapple juice (from the can of tidbits)
  • 1 tbsp avocado oil
  • 2 tsp soy sauce reduced-sodium (GF if needed)
  • 1 large jalapeno pepper roughly chopped, to desired spiciness
  • 1 1/4 tsp lime juice fresh
  • 3/4 tsp ginger fresh; minced
  • 3/4 tsp nutmeg ground
  • 3/4 tsp allspice ground
  • 3/8 tsp thyme ground
  • 3/8 tsp cinnamon ground

Instructions

  1. Rinse the lentils and stir together the water and lentils in a medium pot and bring to a boil.
  2. Once boiling, turn the heat to medium-low, cover and cook until tender, about 15-20 minutes. Drain well and add into a large bowl.
  3. Add all the other salad ingredients, except the coconut chips, into the bowl and stir to combine.
  4. In a SMALL food processor (mine is 3 cups) process all of the dressing ingredients until the jalapeno is broken down and the dressing is smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides as necessary.
  5. Pour the dressing over the lentils and mix well. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours up to overnight so the lentils can absorb the dressing and develop flavor.
  6. When ready to serve, stir in the coconut chips and DEVOUR!