This lentil salad is absolutely delightful. And to top it all off, the dressing for this excellent lentil cauliflower salad is a little zingy and we know you are going to love it! Our Lentil Cauliflower Salad sports healthy veggies, fruit and nuts, and an easy to make dressing that takes only a few moments to spice it up a bit. For those of you who are vegetarian or gluten free, this one is especially for you. It is one of our favorite lentil salad recipes.
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There is no comparison to the fresh flavors and the health benefits one can have from eating this combination of cauliflower and lentils. Lentils are full of protein, iron, and fiber. We think you will agree this lentil salad recipe is not only very tasty and light, but also filling.
For this recipe we use our Palouse Brand Small Pardina Lentils (aka brown lentils). These lentils are great, as they retain their shape and firmness when cooked, but also will absorb the lovely flavors of the dressing. Their flavor is super earthy, so they go well with other strong, zippy flavors.
How to Cook Lentils
The great thing about this lentil salad is that you can prepare everything in advance. We like to cook our lentils and steam our cauliflower the day before, covering and storing them in the refrigerator of course, and then the only thing left to do is make the dressing and plate it up in style.
Did you know that you don’t have to soak lentils before cooking them? Another reason to love them! They only take about 15 to 20 minutes to cook. Just put them in a pan with water or vegetable broth and bring them to a boil. Simmer until they are tender, but not too soft. You don’t want them to be mushy in the salad.
Rinse them quickly with cold water and that is it! The lentils are ready for the salad.
Bring water to a boil and add dry lentils, reduce heat.
Cook until tender, approximately 20 minutes, drain, cool.
Cut cauliflower into small flowerettes.
Steam cauli-flowerettes until tender crisp. Cool immediately
In small saucepan on low heat, combine all dressing ingredients until well blended.
Pour over lentils, mixing well.
Divide and arrange Arugula on plates, place approximately ¾ cup of lentil mixture on top of each serving, place several cauli-flowerettes on lentil mixture, sprinkle with dates and top with thinly sliced red onions and sliced almonds.
