My Inner Shakti

finding strength in everyday things

  • Home
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Me
  • Recipes
  • Restaurants

Everything but the Kitchen Sink Lentil Salad

written by Parita 8 Comments

You guys. I made the salad of my dreams the other night. No joke. It was everything a salad should be, namely full of texture and flavor.

To be fair, I didn’t come up with it all on my own. I was inspired by the Loaded Lentils salad I had at Café Karibo in Fernandina Beach a couple of weeks ago. I loved the idea of combining lentils, chickpeas, feta and walnuts. I’m pretty sure I licked my plate clean.

Cafe Karibo

And then came another sign that I needed to make a salad with lentils in it. Jen posted a recipe for a Mediterranean Lentil & Couscous Salad that looked incredible.

And that was that. Lentil salad was added to my weekly meal plan.

So like many of the things I make, this is a “recipe.” This means that ingredients can be swapped out and measurements can be adjusted based on personal preferences. For example, I can totally see this salad looking slightly different the next time I make it…instead of using walnuts, I may use pumpkin seeds. A small example but you get the picture!

With that being said, I’m not going to state exact measurements for the ingredients below. I will, however, note how much of each ingredient I used. And I suggest making/prepping more of the things you like so that way you can make multiple salads during the week. Trust me, you will want to eat this more than once!

Lentil Salad1 (4)

Let’s get to it…

Everything but the Kitchen Sink Lentil Salad

Chopped spinach (I used 2 large handfuls)
Cooked quinoa (I used ~1/3 cup)
Cooked lentils* (I used ~1/2 cup)
Boiled eggs, chopped (I used one)
Cherry tomatoes, quartered (I used 6)
Green olives, chopped (I used 5)
Crumbled feta (I used 2 tablespoons)
Toasted walnuts, chopped** (I used ~2 tablespoons)
Basil leaves, chiffonated (I used 4-5 leaves)
Balsamic glaze***
Olive oil (2 teaspoons)

Starting with the spinach and ending with the basil, add each ingredient to a large bowl. Drizzle ~one tablespoon of the balsamic glaze and 2 teaspoons of olive on top of the salad. Mix and enjoy!

Lentils*
I used Trader Joe’s Small Whole Green Lentils, but I’m guessing any kind will work. In a saucepan, combine 1 cup lentils (sorted and rinsed), ¼ cup white wine (I used Chardonnay), 2 ¼ cups vegetable broth, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and allow to simmer for 35 minutes. When the lentils are done cooking, add a couple pinches of salt and mix well.

Toasted walnuts**
Heat a small frying pan over low heat and add a couple handfuls of walnuts. Every couple of minutes, toss the walnuts around in the pan (this ensures that they don’t burn). Do this for ~5-7 minutes. As soon as they start to brown, try a piece. If it’s crunchy, you’re good to go. If not, keep toasting for a few more minutes.

Balsamic glaze***
Heat a small sauce pan over low-medium heat. Add ½ to 1 cup of balsamic vinegar to pan and allow to simmer. I know this sounds like a lot, but it reduces to less than half the original amount! You know the glaze is done when it coats the back of a spoon.

Lentil Salad1 (2)

So I know this sounds like a lot of work, but it’s really not because a lot of these ingredients can be prepped ahead of time. And in my opinion, it’s well worth the (very minimal) effort!

What are your salad must-haves?

Related Posts

  • Last Week’s Notable Meals {#2}Last Week’s Notable Meals {#2}
  • 29 Years Young29 Years Young
  • Let’s Chit Chat!Let’s Chit Chat!
  • 7 Surprising Things About Being a Boy Mom7 Surprising Things About Being a Boy Mom
  • 11 Books for Your Winter Reading List11 Books for Your Winter Reading List

Written on May 2, 2014 Related:Food, Health, Recipe

Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    CommentLuv badgeShow more posts

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  1. Shashi @ RunninSrilankan says

    May 2, 2014 at 8:36 am

    Oh Parita – this salad could make me so so happy! I don’t think the prep work is too much at all – in fact, there’s nothing to dislike about this plate of deliciousness!
    I love boiled eggs, olives, nuts and beans in my salads – so this salad plus some beans and a couch and ooh am a happy camper :)! Hope your weekend is wonderful!
    Shashi @ RunninSrilankan recently posted…What I take for granted…My Profile

    Reply
    • myinnershakti says

      May 3, 2014 at 8:31 am

      If you love those things, this one is for you! And the best part is that it’s totally something you can customize per your taste. The only thing I wouldn’t skip is the balsamic glaze…it added so much good flavor!

      Reply
  2. Liz @ I Heart Vegetables says

    May 2, 2014 at 3:45 pm

    That salad looks AMAZING! Alex and I are trying to eat clean before the wedding and this would totally fit the bill!

    Reply
    • myinnershakti says

      May 3, 2014 at 8:29 am

      You guys should definitely make it. It’s delicious AND filling!

      Reply
  3. Khushboo says

    May 2, 2014 at 11:47 pm

    Loving all the different flavours and textures in this salad. Especially as it’s gotten almost unbearably hot here, salads are just about the only thing that sound appealing right now. Lately I’ve been obsessed with pumpkin seeds & alfalfa sprouts!

    Reply
    • myinnershakti says

      May 3, 2014 at 8:29 am

      I was so sad when I was down to the last bite! It was THAT good! And I think both pumpkin seeds and alfalfa sprouts could be added to this salad – they’d add the perfect crunch!

      Reply
  4. Lauren says

    May 5, 2014 at 11:43 am

    This is looks so amazing! Feta and olives are one of my favorite combos. Pinning this now!
    Lauren recently posted…Weekend ThingsMy Profile

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Last Week’s Notable Meals {#2} | My Inner Shakti says:
    May 5, 2014 at 10:38 pm

    […] Everything but the Kitchen Sink Lentil Salad […]

    Reply
Welcome to My Inner Shakti! This is my little corner of the internet where I explore and share more about the things that give me my inner strength. I hope you stick around! Read More Here...
Subscribe to MIS

Sign up now to receive all the latest from My Inner Shakti straight to your inbox!

Follow me on Feedly!

follow us in feedly

LOVE my blog!

Follow on Bloglovin

categories

Archives

Top Posts!

  • #12 + #39 + 7 lessons
  • Marriage Advice for My Little Sister
  • My Experience with Apple Cider Vinegar
  • DIY Diaper Pail
  • How to Crisp Up a Tortilla
  • Do Not Forget Your Parents
  • An Honest Review of “Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead”
  • What's Good?
  • Q&A with Mama and Food Blogger Meeta Arora
  • The 3 Things I Am Not

Follow me on Instagram!

Copyright ©2023, My Inner Shakti. All Rights Reserved. Custom design by Pixel Me Designs