Lentil Tabbouleh — The Twenty-Second Birthday

I turned twenty-two Thursday June fifteenth, 2023. The household had a small family birthday dinner Saturday on the porch. Eight people. Brayden one and a half, Harper four months. The recipe was lentil tabbouleh — cooked lentils tossed with chopped parsley, mint, tomato, cucumber, lemon, olive oil. The bright Lebanese-style salad.

The recipe is below.

Lentil Tabbouleh

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 40 minutes (plus 30 minutes chilling) | Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 1 cup green or brown lentils, rinsed and picked over
• 2 1/2 cups water or low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• 2 cups fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (about 2 large bunches)
• 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
• 2 medium tomatoes, diced small
• 1 medium cucumber, seeded and diced small
• 4 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

1. Cook the lentils. Combine lentils, water or broth, and bay leaf in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Cook uncovered for 18—20 minutes, until lentils are just tender but still hold their shape. Do not overcook — you want them firm enough to toss. Drain any excess liquid, remove and discard the bay leaf, and spread lentils on a sheet pan to cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes.
2. Prep the vegetables and herbs. While lentils cool, finely chop the parsley and mint, dice the tomatoes and cucumber, and slice the green onions. The chop on the parsley matters — go fine, not rough, so it distributes evenly through the salad.
3. Make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and black pepper until combined.
4. Combine. In a large bowl, add the cooled lentils, parsley, mint, tomatoes, cucumber, and green onions. Pour the dressing over and toss gently until everything is evenly coated.
5. Taste and adjust. Taste for salt and lemon — this salad is meant to be bright and well-seasoned. Add more lemon juice or salt as needed.
6. Chill before serving. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors come together. Serve cold or at room temperature. Keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days — the flavor improves overnight.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 195 | Protein: 10g | Fat: 7g | Carbs: 26g | Fiber: 8g | Sodium: 210mg