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A healthy and satisfying lentil salad with the classic flavors of Caprese. 
Holy heat wave! As I type this, at 9 PM, it is 87 degrees F inside our house. No, we don’t have AC. Which makes me very sad. And very tired since the kids aren’t sleeping well. And very sweaty. Sorry.
But this hearty salad makes me very happy. I’ve been craving cool, refreshing, healthy meals that I can just pull out of the fridge whenever I get a chance to eat. One of my favorite ways to ensure healthy eating is to have healthy prepared recipes like this one in the fridge. I don’t usually love lentil salads, but I do love how nutritious they are.  Lentils are a great source of vegetarian protein, iron, folate, fiber, and vitamins and minerals. So I decided to pair lentils with a no-fail combination – Caprese. Tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil. Always yummy. 
This salad holds up very well and would be great packed in lunches. 
More after the break!


What do you think about lentils? Love them or hate them? 
More delicious lentil recipes

Curried Pumpkin Lentil Soup on Yummy Mummy Kitchen
Sweet Potato and Lentil Stew on Cooking with My Kid
Avocado Lentil Salad on 101 Cookbooks 

Caprese Lentil Salad Recipe 

Yield: about 4 cups of salad 
Ingredients: 
  • 1 cup green lentils 
  • 2 cups water 
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar 
  • 1 1/4 cups cherry tomatoes, quartered 
  • 2 Tablespoons fresh chopped basil 
  • Fresh mozzarella (the kind in water), cubed 
  • salt and pepper to taste 

Instructions: 
  1. Rinse the lentils well, discarding any rocks or discolored lentils. 
  2. Place lentils and water in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer. Turn to low heat and cover the pot. Cook until lentils are tender, about 30 minutes. Check after 20 minutes and add more water if they are drying out. 
  3. Drain cooked lentils of any leftover water and cool in a medium bowl. Gently stir in the olive oil and vinegar. Add the tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil. Toss to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Taste and add more vinegar if desired, I like mine quite vinegary and added another tablespoon or two. Serve cold.