Greek Lentils with Olives and Herbs

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The award winning team, Jenny and Heather of SporkFoods make Lucious Lentils for #LunchBreakLIVE. They are the authors of “Vegan 101” where you can learn to cook plant based meals that satisfy everyone at http://amzn.to/2qBLWQ1 Check out their website to find out about taking classes, catering, private chef work and product development at sporkfoods.com

Greek Lentils with Olives and Herbs

GLUTEN-FREE Serves 4 to 6
Prep time: 12 minutes  Cook time: 25 minutes
FOR THE LENTILS
1 cup dried green lentils
2 cloves garlic, slightly crushed
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
FOR THE DRESSING
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus zest of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon brown rice syrup
2 teaspoons fresh oregano, stemmed and finely chopped
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
FOR THE ADD-INS
½ cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
⅓ cup Kalamata olives, sliced
2 tablespoons fresh chives, finely chopped
1 Persian (or ½ English) cucumber, diced
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
TO PREPARE THE LENTILS
Fill a 6-quart pot halfway with salted water and bring to a boil. Add lentils, garlic, thyme, and bay leaf and return to boil, then lower to a simmer. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until lentils are tender. Drain lentils and discard bay leaf.
TO PREPARE THE DRESSING
Whisk together lemon juice and zest, oil, brown rice syrup, oregano, sea salt, and pepper in a small bowl and set aside.
Place cooked lentils in a large serving bowl. Coat with dressing and add tomatoes, olives, chives, and cucumbers. Season with sea salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm or at room temperature, topped with pine nuts.

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Heather Bell and Jenny Engel, owners of Spork Foods

Ingredients for Greek Lentils with Olives and Herbs