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Lemony Couscous Lentil Salad for #SundaySupper

Lemony Couscous Lentil Salad has bell pepper, red onion, fresh thyme, and tossed with tangy lemon dressing. It goes splendidly with ham.

The inkling was for soup. It all started a few months ago when a friend asked if I made soup recently. She was looking for recipes because she was in a soup phase. Then she went on to tell me about a wonderful lentil soup she made. And so the seed was planted. I had lentil soup filed in my to-do list. Yet the road made a turn and I wound up making Lemony Couscous Lentil Salad.

What caused the turn in the road? It was two things. One was the opportunity to use ingredients I had on hand. There was a partial box of Israeli couscous in the pantry and lovely Meyer lemons in the fridge. The other is because Sunday Supper announced a Winter Salad theme. I thought of lentils, couscous, vegetables, and a lemony dressing. Oh yea, that was it.

One thing I needed was lentils. I also needed food, bully sticks, and toys for Milo. Well, food and bully sticks definitely. Puppies need to be fed and their chewing desire satisfied. We’ve seen the damage a puppy can do with chewing. Anyway, HomeGoods is two doors down from PetSmart. I thought I would see what toys they had. It was there where I spotted a bag of Umbrian lentils. It was my lucky day.

Lemony Couscous Lentil Salad has bell pepper, red onion, fresh thyme, and tossed with tangy lemon dressing. It goes splendidly with ham.

Lentils come in many sizes and colors. They cook differently too. Some are better for soups while others are meant for sides or salads. One of those side or salad varieties is Umbrian Lentils (Amazon affiliate link). They are small, tan and brown, plus hold their shape well when cooked. You don’t want lentils to become mush when you are tossing them for a salad.

The dressing really brightens the salad. It’s an easy one made in a blender. You can use either regular or Meyer lemons. The only difference is the dressing will have a greater tartness factor when using regular ones. You could balance it with adding a touch more honey.

Lemony Couscous Lentil Salad | Magnolia Days

Lemony Couscous Lentil Salad is a hearty one. Lentils are packed with protein and fiber. I paired them with couscous so the salad would not be too heavy. Red onion and bell pepper bring crunch to the mix. Fresh thyme pairs so nicely with lemon so it had to be included. The salad goes beautifully with ham.

Lemony Couscous Lentil Salad | Magnolia Days

What kind of salad do you eat in winter? I eat all different kinds. One I make often is Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing. Scroll down to see a whole bunch of ones made by Sunday Supper tastemakers. Also take a look at Black Lentils with Fresh Herbs and Yellow Lentil Soup with Vegetables for more lentil recipes.

Lemony Couscous Lentil Salad

Lemony Couscous Lentil Salad has bell pepper, red onion, fresh thyme, and tossed with tangy lemon dressing. It goes splendidly with ham.
Course Salad
Cuisine Indian
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Author Renee Dobbs

Ingredients

For the dressing:

  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1 small garlic clove chopped
  • 2 teaspoons minced shallot
  • 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
  • 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon honey
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • Pinch of fresh ground pepper
  • 1/2 cup olive oil

For the salad:

  • 3 cups water divided
  • 1 cup lentils brown or green - Umbrian recommended
  • 1/2 cup pearl couscous Israeli
  • 1/3 cup chopped red bell pepper
  • 1/3 cup chopped red onion
  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
  • 1/2 teaspoon table salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 6 tablespoons lemon dressing

Instructions

For the dressing:

  1. Add lemon juice, garlic, shallot, lemon zest, mustard, honey, salt, and pepper to a blender. Blend until combined.
  2. With the blender on low, slowly pour in olive oil.

For the salad:

  1. Add 2 cups water and lentils to a medium saucepan. Bring to a fast simmer then reduce heat to low. Cook, loosely covered, until lentils are tender, about 20 minutes. Drain.
  2. Add 1 cup water and couscous to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low. Cover and cook until done, about 10 minutes (or as per package instructions). Drain if needed.
  3. Add cooked lentils, couscous, and remaining salad ingredients to a large bowl. Toss to combine. Taste and add more dressing or seasonings as desired or to taste.
  4. Salad can be served immediately warm, at room temperature, or chilled for serving later. If chilled, allow to set at room temperature at least 30 minutes prior to serving.
  5. Store any remaining dressing in a sealed container in the refrigerator for a separate use. Bring to room temperature and shake to re-combine prior to using.

Recipe Notes

Lemony Couscous Lentil Salad has bell pepper, red onion, fresh thyme, and tossed with tangy lemon dressing. It goes splendidly with ham.

Lemony Couscous Lentil Salad has bell pepper, red onion, fresh thyme, and tossed with tangy lemon dressing. It goes splendidly with ham.

Summer is not the only time for salads. You can enjoy them all year even when it is cold outside. Take a look at these winter salad recipes by Sunday Supper tastemakers:

Sunday Supper MovementJoin the #SundaySupper family on twitter every Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the conversation. To get more great Sunday Supper recipes, visit the Sunday Supper Movement website or check out our Sunday Supper Pinterest board.

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Recipe Rating




Jess

Friday 19th of January 2018

I just made this tonight! However I preferee It with equal parts of cous cous and lentils. I guess I’m not huge on lentils but LOVE cous cous!

Also, great dress!

Sue Lau

Thursday 3rd of March 2016

Great alternative to bean salad.

Monica

Tuesday 23rd of February 2016

What a fun salad! I'm loving all of the different textures in there.

Wendy, A Day in the Life on the Farm

Tuesday 23rd of February 2016

Wonderful salad...My pups have tons and tons of toys and as soon as I thought there chewing business was over I bought a new couch.....Yep. they are eating the leather back right of of my couch. Aaargh.

Cindys Recipes and Writings

Tuesday 23rd of February 2016

I love the texture to this salad! Beautiful, Renee!