Marinated Lentil and Bell Pepper Salad

Ingredients

• 3 cups cooked brown lentils (Masoor dal)-you need one cup dried lentils
• 1 medium red bell pepper
• 1 medium yellow or orange bell pepper
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
• ⅓ cup crumbled Feta

Balsamic and Maple Syrup Dressing

• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Mix all dressing ingredients in a salad bottle and shake thoroughly to combine. You can also place them  in a bowl and whisk to mix. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.
2. To boil the brown lentils. If you soak the lentils for 2 hours they’ll cook in 15-18 minutes. You can also cook the lentils without soaking and this will take at least 40 minutes to cook. You can do this in advance. 1 cup dried lentils yields 3 cups cooked.
3. Roast the peppers: cut the peppers in half lengthwise and remove the stems, seeds and ribs. Place the pepper halves on a broiler pan or cookie sheet lined with aluminium, cut side down, and broil (grill) 5-6 inches from the heat until the skins are  evenly charred. Transfer the peppers to a plastic bag, or airtight container or wrap the peppers tightly with the aluminium foil and let stand until cool enough to handle. Using a small knife, peel off the skins and dice them into cubes.
4. Place all salad ingredients in a big bowl: the lentils, roasted and diced peppers, chopped parsley and crumble Feta. Pour over the dressing and toss to combine. Let the flavours meld for at least 30 minutes. You can keep this salad covered in the fridge, overnight, and it will taste awesome the next day.

myfavouritepastime.com