{Muster Monday} Lentil Salad

I've been following a metabolic detoxification menu plan by Metagenics™ for the past month upon the suggestion of my Naturopathic doctor. In the plan, recipes for suggested menu items were made available...some were yummy! I've done quite well on the plan, which includes their UltraClear RENEW™ powder formula, and I will continue to refer back to it after completion. Especially for some of the recipes like the following!

Instead of cooking the lentils, I substituted Melissa's steamed lentils that I found at Costco and made quickness of my time. I also left out the bell peppers, only because they seemed to be giving me some trouble lately. :)

Lentil Salad

3-4 servings

2 cups lentils, picked over and rinsed

3 ½ cups water

2-3 TB red wine or balsamic vinegar

1/3 cup olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp dried basil

1 tsp fine sea salt

¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper

½ cup black olives, chopped

½ cup carrots, shredded

2 med tomatoes, cut into ½-inch pieces, or 1 cup cherry tomatoes

1 med red bell pepper, seeded and cut into ½-inch pieces

1 small red onion, finely chopped

1 cup fresh parsley, coarsely chopped

Simmer lentils, covered in water, until tender—30 to 45 minutes. Drain and cool. Combine vinegar, olive oil, garlic, basil, salt, and pepper in a jar; mix well. Combine remaining ingredients with lentils and toss with the dressing. Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.