Caprese Lentil Salad

Caprese Lentil Salad is an easy, vegetarian, and gluten-free salad that's served cold, so it's great for the summer. Keep this healthy, high-protein salad in the fridge to always have lunch, snack, or dinner at the ready.

This Caprese Lentil Salad is one of those meals that even when you're full and the salad has long since been gone, you still think about it.

It's also pretty easy to make.

While the salad takes a little more time than most salads because you have to cook the lentils, there's not much hands-on work.

First, you'll sauté the onion which will bring out its natural sweetness and complement the tomatoes and balsamic vinegar quite nicely.

Meanwhile, rinse and sort through your lentils.

Also, chop your tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil, and mince the garlic.

If you don't have good tomatoes, then you might want to roast them.

After the onion is cooked, just put it in a bowl to cool.

And add the lentils to the saucepan you used to sauté the onion. Then just cover with water and bring to a boil. Cover the saucepan, reduce heat, and let simmer for about 30-35 minutes until your lentils are tender but not mushy.

Drain the lentils immediately and stir together with the sautéed onion, chopped tomatoes, and garlic.

Whisk together balsamic vinegar, remaining oil, and some salt, and pour over the lentil mixture.

Give that a good stir and add in the basil and mozzarella. You can serve it immediately or stick it in the fridge to cool. It's good no matter what temperature it is.

Oh and if you're feeling fancy, just add a few chopped walnuts for a little added crunch. Yum!

Oh how I love this salad... it's chock full of fiber [almost half of what you need in one day!], a great source of vegetarian protein, packed with veggies, and mighty tasty. It's a wonderful summer salad that can be served as a meal or a side dish.

Caprese Lentil Salad

Caprese Lentil Salad is an easy, vegetarian and gluten free salad that's served cold, so it's great, high protein meal for the summer.

5 from 2 votes

Print Rate

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Servings: 6

Author: Meme

Ingredients

• ▢ 2 tablespoon olive oil divided
• ▢ 1 onion diced
• ▢ 1 cup lentils dry
• ▢ 2 tomatoes diced (about 1.5 pounds)
• ▢ 1 clove garlic minced or crushed
• ▢ ⅓ cup balsamic vinegar
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt
• ▢ ½ cup chopped fresh basil
• ▢ 4 oz fresh mozzarella cubed
• ▢ ¼ cup walnuts chopped & preferably toasted {optional}

Instructions

• Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a saucepan over medium-high heat.
• Sauté onion in oil for about 10 minutes until soft and lightly browned. Remove from saucepan and set aside.
• Add lentils to the saucepan, and cover with enough water to completely cover lentils with about one inch of water. Bring to a boil.
• Cover the saucepan, reduce heat, and let simmer for about 30-35 minutes until your lentils are tender but not mushy.
• Drain the lentils immediately and stir together with the sautéed onion, chopped tomatoes, and garlic.
• Whisk together balsamic vinegar, remaining tablespoon of oil, and salt, and pour over the lentil mixture. Give that a good stir and add in the basil and mozzarella.
• You can serve immediately or stick in the fridge to cool. It's good no matter what temperature it is. Sprinkle with walnuts just before serving, if using. Enjoy!

Notes

*Makes about 5-6 cups

*Omit mozzarella for a dairy-free salad.

*Use pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds in place of the walnuts for nut-free. Or omit.

Did you try this recipe?Be sure to leave a comment & recipe rating below. Bonus points for tagging @memeinge & #livingwellkitchen on Instagram! THANK YOU! xo

Meme

This post was originally published on July 14, 2014. Text, recipe, and photos have been updated.

Caprese Lentil Salad Nutrition Facts

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