Edie’s Lentils is a Little Green staple. This easy lentil salad recipe is quick to prepare, nutritious, delicious, and we never get bored of it. You can vary the ingredients based on what you have in your fridge and what your taste preferences are.
I give all the credit for this recipe to my wonderful friend, Edie (thus the name, obv!) She created it years ago and gave it to me once in Nashville or LA. I hadn’t even discovered Trader Joe’s pre-cooked lentils yet, and now they are permanently on my grocery list. Cooking lentils is not complicated, but simply opening up a package and adding other delicious items to the salad couldn’t be easier.
Lentils are an excellent source of fiber, protein, iron, magnesium, and potassium. They lower cholesterol, are great for diabetes because they don’t cause blood sugars to rise. They are protective against cancer. In fact, the Nurses’ Health Study (II), which followed the diets of over 90,000 women for decades, found that women who ate lentils twice a week had a 24% reduced risk of breast cancer.
This version calls for celery, walnuts, cranberries and parsley. I do always include celery and parsley in my Edie’s Lentils. But the rest of the ingredients can be varied. I often add apple, spring onions, red onion, or capers. I sometimes include leftover roasted vegetables. I’ve even added chopped-up orange slices for a burst of flavor and sweetness. Pecans are also great in this salad. If you’re searching for the apple-sweetened cranberries, I often find them at Whole Foods or other health food markets.
You can also vary the dressing. Sometimes I just pour in extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, half a lemon, and salt!
In our Little Green cleanses, this recipe is a must because it is so easy to prepare in advance, and it lasts 4-5 days in the fridge. During our cleanse Prep Days, we almost always make this easy lentil salad so that we have this satisfying and tasty meal on hand when hunger strikes.
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- 1 cup package prepared lentils (or prepare 1 cup dried lentils according to package directions)
- 1/2 cup walnuts chopped
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries (apple juice-sweetened, not sugar-sweetened!) roughly chopped
- 1 stalk celery minced
- 1 Tbsp. parsley diced
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
- 1 tsp. Braggs Amino Acids or gluten free soy sauce
- 1 tsp. grain mustard
- 1/8 tsp. coarse pepper
- Combine lentils, walnuts, and cranberries.
- Whisk together dressing and pour over lentils, mixing well.
- Keeps in the fridge for 4-5 days.
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