Greek Lentil Salad

Blogging Marathon# 54: Week 4/ Day 1 Theme: Lentils -- 3 Ways Dish: Greek Lentil Salad My theme for this week's blogging marathon is 'Lentils -- 3 ways'. Valli wants us to use 3 different lentils in 3 different ways, so for the next 3 days I have some interesting dishes using lentils.
I love dals and I am always looking for ways to incorporate them into my daily diet. Lentils are one of the most important sources of protein for vegetarians and I stock up on quite a few varieties in my pantry.
For the first day, I made a Greek Lentil salad using Puy or French Lentils. These tiny lentils cook up in about 25~30 minutes and do not need to be pre-soaked. So it is really quick and easy to make this salad. Recipe is from Vegetarian Times magazine.
This salad is mild tasting, but you can easily spice or jazz it up by adding more lemon juice, more herbs and may be some olives. I liked it just as is because it is light and refreshing, but filling at the same time. It is great to pack for lunch or a picnic.
Ingredients: Serves 4 French Puy Lentils - 1cup
Onion - 1 small, quartered
Bay leaves - 2
Shallot - 1 large, finely chopped
Lemon juice - 2~3tbsp (adjust as per taste)
Cucumber - 1 small, diced
Cherry Tomatoes - 8~10, halved
Fresh Mint - 3tbsp, finely chopped
Olive Oil - 1tbsp
Feta Cheese - as needed (optional)
Salt & Pepper - as needed
Method:

• Place lentils, onion, bay leaves and 6 cups of water in a large sauce pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 25~30 minutes or until the lentils are tender. Drain, remove onion and bay leaves, and cool.
• In a large bowl, stir together shallot and lemon juice. Add lentils, cucumber, tomatoes, mint and oil; stir to combine. Season with salt & pepper. Chill for 1 hour. Serve topped with feta.

Lets check out what my fellow marathoners have cooked today for BM# 54.