Lentil tabbouleh

Being Lebanese, I have an affinity towards eating grains; rice, beans, chickpeas, and lentils… And I’m crazy about lentils; mjadra (lentil pottage), mdardra (lentil and rice with blackened onions), adas bi hamood (lentil and swiss chard soup), shorbet adad (red lentil soup)…  are my favorite meals, not only because they’re super food with the highest source of protein, but also because they’re so amazingly tasty.

Now, you are all familiar with the tabbouleh, the national dish of Lebanon and the pride of Lebanese cooks, a parsley salad flecked with tomatoes, bulgur, onion and mint. So what about pimping out the original tabbouleh, replacing the bulgur with cooked lentils. I just loved the idea, and let me tell you something, you will find it impossibly hard to stop digging your spoon into this salad once you start. 

Ingredients (serves 4):
1/2 cup lentil
1 bunch parsley, finely chopped
4 green onions, chopped
4 tomatoes, finely diced
2 tbsp chopped mint
salt and pepper
3 tbsp olive oil
2 lemons, juiced
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp sumac

Cover lentils with water and bring to a boil, then simmer for 20 minutes or till they are soft but not mushy. Drain and set aside to cool.

Transfer lentils to a large bowl, add chopped tomatoes, parsley, mint, onions. Toss with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper, cinnamon and sumac. Stir to combine.

 

Tabboulé de lentilles

Ingrédients (4 personnes):
1/2 tasses de lentilles
1 botte de persil plat, finement haché
4 oignons verts, hachés
4 tomates, coupées en dés
2 càs de menthe, hachée
sel et poivre
3 càs d'huile d'olive
jus de 2 citrons
1/2 càc de cannelle
1/2 càc de sumac

Couvrez les lentilles avec de l'eau. Amenez à ébullition, réduisez la chaleur et laissez cuire 20 mn jusqu'à ce que les lentilles soient tendres mais pas écrasées. Egouttez et réservez.

Transférez les lentilles dans un saladier. Ajoutez tomates, persil, menthe, oignons. Assaisonnez de sel, poivre, cannelle, huile d'olive, citron et sumac. Mélangez et servez!