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I made this for Michael Greger's Cornell graduation celebration luncheon and it was a big hit.
1/2 cup dried lentils (any kind - but I like the little, dark green ones best)
3 cups water
8 oz. bowtie, spiral, or other short, chunky-shaped pasta
8 - 10 cherry tomatoes, halved (see my comments below*)
4 scallions, chopped
2 apples, cored and diced (I like green tart apples, like Granny Smiths, for this)
1 bell pepper seeded and diced
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped, or 1 Tablespoon dried)
2 Tablespoons fresh minced parsley, or 1 Tablespoon dried)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
fresh mint leaves, chopped, to taste
Place lentils and water in a saucepan, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until tender but not mushy; 30-40 minutes depending on the lentils, stir and check occasionally. When ready, drain and put under cold, running water until thoroughly cooled.
Meanwhile, boil up the pasta, and when that's al dente drain and put under cold, running water until thoroughly cooled.
Place lentils, pasta, and the other ingredients in a large bowl and mix until well-blended. I personally like to mix up the oil, vinegar, garlic, and the fresh or dried spices as a kind of salad dressing and pour that over the other ingredients, then stir well until everything is coated.
*If you are making this salad with an eye to keeping it in the fridge for a couple days, do not add the tomatoes in with the regular salad. Fresh, cut-open tomatoes get sub-optimal pretty quickly; add them at the time of serving, or omit them altogether.
4 servings at 3 POINTS per serving: 128 calories, 5g total fat, 2g dietary fiber
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