Lebanese Lentil Salad

Hearty, inexpensive and easily whipped up in 20 minutes. My kind of salad!

Perfect if you are having a lot of people over for a dinner party and need a filling side dish or if you are doing a mezze style feast. It is also vegan, dairy free and gluten free so great for guests with intolerances. I used green lentils for this as a like them to have a little bite to them, but you can also substitute with brown lentils (you just need to cook them for less). Enjoy!

(Makes 4-6 servings)

Ingredients:

- 1 cup green lentils

- 4 tbsp Olive Oil (2 for sautéing, 2 for dressing)

- 10 cloves fresh minced garlic

- 1 bunch mint finely chopped

- 1 bunch parsley finely chopped

- 4 tbsp squeezed lemon juice - 1 tsp ground cumin

- 1 tsp ground allspice

- Salt & pepper to taste

- Love

Directions:

1. Wash lentils and simmer on medium heat until cooked (about 20 mins)

2. Sautee garlic in 2 tbspn of olive oil on low for 6 minutes and set aside.

3. In a small bowl whisk together the lemon, extra oil, cumin and all spice.

4. Add the chopped mint and parsley to a serving bowl and pour over the lemon mixture

5. Drain the lentils and then stir in the sautéed garlic to the pot

6. Allow lentils to cool until room temperature and then add to the serving bowl

7. Mix everything well, sprinkle with salt & pepper and enjoy!