Black Lentil Tabouli

Tabouli is traditionally made with bulgur, but I love earthy black lentils with this herbaceous dressing. (You can also go with 3 cups of cooked, cooled bulgur instead of the lentils.) Want to make this dish ahead of time? Toss the lentils, cucumbers, and tomatoes together, but only add the dressing and salt when you’re ready to serve. 

This recipe was developed by Kate Sherwood, The Healthy Cook. Have a comment, question, or idea? Email Kate at healthycook@cspinet.org.

Serves: 6
Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup black lentils
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 whole clove garlic
• 1 tsp. lemon zest
• 1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp. orange zest
• 1 Tbs. fresh orange juice
• 1 Tbs. red wine vinegar
• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, leaves removed and stems discarded
• a few mint leaves (optional) 
• 1 + 2 mini cucumbers, diced
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered
• ¾ tsp. kosher salt

Instructions

1. In a small pot over high heat, bring 2½ cups water to a boil. Stir in the lentils, bay leaves, and garlic. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Cook the lentils until just al dente (so they’re slightly firm, with no or few broken skins), 18-20 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water. Remove and discard the bay leaves and garlic.  
2. In a blender, combine the lemon zest and juice and the orange zest and juice with the vinegar, oil, herbs, and 1 cucumber. Blend until the herbs are minced and the dressing is well combined.
3. In a large bowl, toss the lentils with the dressing. Add the remaining 2 cucumbers, tomatoes, and salt, and toss everything together to combine. 

Nutrition Information

Per serving (1 cup):

• Calories: 210
• Total fat: 10 g
• Sat fat: 1.5 g
• Carbs: 25 g
• Fiber: 7 g
• Total sugar: 2 g
• Added sugar: 0 g
• Protein: 10 g
• Sodium: 250 mg