Fresh & easy, super filling salad filled with lentils, brown rice, and fresh veggies. Perfect use for garden vegetables!
I have a confession. This dish should serve probably 6-8 and I ate it all.
By myself.
Not all at once, over like 3 days, but still. I love mixing rice and salad together. Then I saw A Family Feast mix rice and veggies with lentils and I remembered I love that even more. I do that sometimes. I get in a rut of eating the same things then stop completely and forget that I loved them.
I put this picture on Instagram with the caption “Luckily I love these flavors as much as chocolate and peanut butter” and it’s true. I really do. At least I don’t have to feel as guilty when I gorge on this type of dish (as opposed to the chocolate and peanut butter cookies I made later in the week).
I love the warm rice and lentils in contrast to the cold tomatoes and cucumbers. Plus lemon and oil dressing? That’s my absolute favorite. It’s such a light and fresh flavor.
Lentils with Brown Rice & Veggies
Fresh & easy, super filling salad filled with lentils, brown rice, and fresh veggies. Perfect use for garden vegetables!
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked brown rice I use Trader Joe’s organic frozen brown rice & I love it
- 1 cup lentils rinsed & picked over
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 cups water
- 3 small tomatoes I used brown tomatoes, diced
- 1 medium english cucumber diced
- juice of 2 lemons
- ~ 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- handful of reduced fat feta cheese, to taste
Instructions
- I love using Trader Joe’s frozen rice (it’s ready in 3 minutes), but if you’re using “real” rice, prepare that now.
- In a medium saucepan, add one cup of lentils with four cups of water and a bay leaf. Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat and boil uncovered for about 15 minutes until the lentils are tender but not falling apart.
- While the lentils are cooking, dice up your cucumber and tomatoes.
- Once done, drain your lentils and throw away the bay leaf.
- In a large bowl, add your rice then top with the cooked lentils. Mix it up.
- Top the lentil/rice mixture with the diced cucumbers and tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Stir it all up.
- Juice your lemons and pour over the top. Add your olive oil. (I always eyeball these steps – do it to taste). Stir it up and add more salt and pepper, if needed.
- I like to let it sit for a little bit so the flavors really come together.
- Top with a handful of feta cheese and serve. Enjoy!
Notes
Inspired by A Family Feast
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Things you may need…
My favorite knife
Lemon juicer
Short cut – Cooked Brown Rice
I would totally eat all of this too! Looks like a great summer recipe!