Lentil Tabbouleh Salad

Ingredients

• 1 cup green lentils
• 3 cups water
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup red onion (minced)
• 1/4 cup lemon juice (fresh)
• 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt (plus more to taste)
• 1 teaspoon black pepper (plus more to taste)
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 English cucumber (chopped)
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes (chopped)
• 1 1/2 cups fresh parsley (minced)
• 1 cup fresh mint (minced, plus mint sprigs for garnish)

Instructions

1. 1

   Place the 1 cup green lentils in a fine mesh strainer and rinse them thoroughly to remove any debris. Place them in a medium pot and add the 3 cups water and 1 bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer for about 20-25 minutes, until tender.

2. 2

   Drain the cooked lentils and remove the bay leaf. Rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process and cool the lentils.

3. 3

   Meanwhile, soak the 1 cup red onion in a bowl of ice water for at least 5 minutes. Drain.

4. 4

   In a large bowl stir together the 1 English cucumber, 2 cups cherry tomatoes, 1/3 cup olive oil, ¼ cup lemon juice, 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar, 2 teaspoons kosher salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper, and let the mixture stand for 15 minutes. Add the cooked lentils, soaked red onion, 1 1/2 cups fresh parsley, and 1 cup fresh mint, stir the salad well, and season with additional salt to taste. Chill it, covered, for 1 hour.

5. 5

   The salad may be made 2 days in advance and kept covered and chilled. Serve the salad garnished with mint sprigs.