Celery and Spiced Lentil Salad With Parsley and Feta

Save this one for when you want a salad that's super crunchy and refreshing, but still filling and satisfying. Lentils get tossed in a delicious cumin and coriander-forward dressing and paired with crunchy celery, parsley and loads of feta. Serve it with your favourite grilled sausages and you've got a nice little weeknight dinner.

Equipment

Here's everything you need to make this celery and lentil salad with parsley and feta:

• colander/strainer
• zester
• chef's knife
• cutting board
• large bowl

Get the full ingredients list and instructions below!

Cooking Tips

1. Canned Lentils will work, but home made is better. I won't shame you either way, just pick the option that works best for you. I will say lentils cook very quickly, so it won't add much more time/effort to the process.
2. Make it ahead, and eat it all week. This salad gets better with time in the fridge, making it perfect for meal prepping or leftover lunch the next day. The salad will last 5 days stored in an airtight container and kept in the fridge.
3. I love serving this salad with grilled or pan-fried sausages, but it would also go well with grilled paprika chicken, or this greens and goat cheese tart.

Substitutions

• Play around with different herbs: dill, basil and cilantro would all be welcome substitutions (or additions!)
• If you can't find feta, or aren't a fan, try it with goat cheese instead.

Celery and Spiced Lentil Salad

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Total Time 25 minutes mins

Servings: 4

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

Salad

• 1 540mL can of green or brown lentils (or 2 cups cooked green/brown lentils 1 cup dry lentils will yield 2 cups cooked
• 1 small shallot
• 4 stalks celery
• ½ cup chopped parsley
• ½ cup crumbled feta

Dressing

• ½ cup olive oil
• 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 ½ teaspoon ground cumin or 1 tablespoon whole seeds, ground
• 1 ½ teaspoon ground coriander or 1 tablespoon whole seeds, ground
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 clove garlic

Method

 

1. Drain and rinse canned lentils and set aside. If using dried lentils, bring a small sauce pan filled with 2 quarts water and 1 tablespoon salt to boil. Add 1 cup dry lentils, stir, and return to a simmer. Let cook until tender but not mushy, about 15-20 minutes. Drain the lentils in a strainer and set aside to cool.
2. To a large bowl add ½ cup olive oil, 3 tablespoon red wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 ½ teaspoon ground cumin and 1 ½ teaspoon ground coriander. Using a zester, grate in 1 clove of garlic. Season with a pinch of salt and cracked black pepper. Whisk until emulsified, then taste and adjust seasoning.
3. Thinly slice 4 celery stalks. I like to cut my celery on a bias by positioning my knife at a 45° angle against the stalk, but that's totally optional! Next, thinly slice 1 small shallot. Add the sliced celery and shallots to the dressing and toss to coat. Finally, roughly chop enough parsley to fill one cup, if you haven't already, and set aside.
4. Add the cooked (and cooled) lentils to the bowl and top with chopped parsley and ½ cup crumbled feta. Toss before serving and enjoy. Serve with grilled or pan-fried sausages.

Notes

If serving with pan-fried sausages, put them in a cold pan and heat on medium-high until golden and crispy on one side, then flip and continue cooking until an instant-read thermometer placed in the centre of the sausage reads 160-165°F. 

If grilling the sausages, heat a grill to 400-450°F and cook until the instant read thermometer reads 160-165°F when inserted in the centre. 

Did you like this recipe? Let me know in the comments below. It's always nice to hear from you!