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Brown Rice and Lentil Salad over Arugula

March 23, 2016 By justalittlebitofbacon 6 Comments

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Earthy lentils, brown basmati rice, buttery pine nuts, creamy feta, and spicy arugula. That is a lot of awesome in one bowl! This rice and lentil salad is both good and good for you, an excellent combo. And it’s flexible enough to work as a side along with a meat course or as a main for a vegetarian meal.

Brown Rice and Green Lentil Salad - This easy salad packs a big nutritional punch. Brown rice, green lentils, pine nuts, arugula and feta combine into a healthy and tasty side dish. | justalittlebitofbacon.com

Hello, all!

Now, if you’re saying ‘French green lentils what are those?’ I’m here to help.

As you can see from the photos, French lentils are small and green (hence the name) and hold their shape when you cook them.

There are many types of lentils with different flavors and different behaviors when cooked. Some, like the standard on US shelves – the brown lentils, turn soft and mushy when cooked and are best in soups; others break down almost completely, such as red and yellow lentils; and then there are black and green lentils, which hold their shape and are great for salads. I also like the fairly mild, a little spicy flavor of the French lentils since I think it pairs well with a vinaigrette.

If you can’t find French lentils in the store (though you may have some luck in the natural or specialty food sections), you can certainly order them on-line! I personally always have a container of them in my pantry. Like most dried beans, they have a long shelf life, and I like having them on hand for whenever I’m in the mood for a lentil salad that evening.

Brown Rice and Green Lentil Salad - This easy salad packs a big nutritional punch. Brown rice, green lentils, pine nuts, arugula and feta combine into a healthy and tasty side dish. | justalittlebitofbacon.com

Another nice thing about lentils is that they cook quickly.

There is no need to pre-soak them or to let them rest in the hot water so they can finish cooking. About 20 minutes is all you need from putting them in the pot until they are done and ready to be used in your recipe. For a salad I let them cool in the bowl until just warm, so we’re talking 35 minutes start to finish.

And they can be made ahead if you want to bring this salad to a picnic or serve it at cookout! Make the salad through tossing the lentils with the dressing up to 2 days ahead. Then add the cheese and pine nuts an hour or two ahead, and pull out the arugula just before serving. For a crowd, I would chop the arugula and toss it with the salad as I put it out. Less fuss for a group. šŸ™‚

However, right now it’s too chilly for cookouts or picnics and I’m enjoying having it warm alongside a nice bowl of soup, like Tomato Soup or Pasta e Fagioli. That sounds like a great early Spring dinner to me.

Brown Rice and Green Lentil Salad - This easy salad packs a big nutritional punch. Brown rice, green lentils, pine nuts, arugula and feta combine into a healthy and tasty side dish. | justalittlebitofbacon.com

If you try my recipe for Brown Rice and Lentil Salad, I would love to hear from you in the comments with your experience and rating! And I’m happy to answer any questions you might have.

You can connect with me by subscribing to my emails (see the form in the sidebar or below the recipe card), liking my FACEBOOK page, or by following me on PINTEREST.

– Happy Eating, Annemarie

Brown Rice and Green Lentil Salad - This easy salad packs a big nutritional punch. Brown rice, green lentils, pine nuts, arugula and feta combine into a healthy and tasty side dish. | justalittlebitofbacon.com
Print Recipe
5 from 3 votes

Brown Rice and Lentil Salad over Arugula

This easy salad packs a big nutritional punch. Brown rice, green lentils, pine nuts, arugula and feta combine into a healthy and tasty side dish.
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time40 mins
Total Time55 mins
Course: Salad
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Keyword: lentil salad, mediterranean rice salad
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 550kcal
Author: justalittlebitofbacon

Ingredients

  • 1 cup brown basmati rice, rinsed
  • 3/4 cup french green lentils, rinsed
  • 1 tbsp kosher salt
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/2 tsp dried thyme
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
  • 4 oz feta cheese
  • 4 cups arugula

Salad Dressing

  • 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tbsp sherry vinegar
  • 1 tsp lemon zest
  • 2 tbsp minced shallots
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

  • Combine rice with 2 cups of water and cook according to package directions until tender. Start the rice first, since brown rice takes longer to cook than lentils.
  • Bring a medium pot of water to a boil.
  • Add the lentils, salt, bay leaf, and thyme. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes, or until the lentils are tender but not falling apart.
  • Drain and blot dry and then transfer them to a medium bowl. Add the rice to the bowl with the lentils.
  • Mix all the salad dressing ingredients together and pour the dressing over the lentils and rice, stirring to mix it in.
  • Allow them to cool until just warm, about 15 minutes. Then add the pine nuts and feta. Toss to combine.
  • To serve add arugula to four salad bowls and then spoon the lentil mixture over. To serve as a side dish to a crowd, roughly chop the arugula and mix it in just before serving.

Notes

  • Pine Nuts: To toast the pine nuts, bake them in a 350F oven for 3-4 minutes.
  • Rice: Standard long-grain brown rice found on US shelves will also work in this recipe. However, brown basmati cooks up drier and firmer, which makes it especially good for salads.
  • Lentils: If you can't find green lentils in the store, you can order them on-line.

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Filed Under: gluten free, recipe, rice & grains, salads, side dishes, vegetable dishes, vegetarian Tagged With: arugula, feta, lentils, parsley, pine nuts, rice

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Comments

  1. Veronique says

    April 7, 2016 at 10:46 am

    5 stars
    Hi Annemarie, this salad is absolutely delicious ! Love your pets too by the way šŸ™‚

    Reply
    • justalittlebitofbacon says

      April 7, 2016 at 6:15 pm

      Thanks! šŸ™‚ All the pets are troublemakers in their own ways, but they keep life interesting.

      Reply
  2. Ilona says

    March 25, 2016 at 11:13 pm

    I am asking myself why I haven’t try lentils yet. There are so many yummy recipes everywhere and your salad looks so good!

    Reply
    • justalittlebitofbacon says

      March 26, 2016 at 11:35 am

      Yes, why haven’t you? šŸ™‚ Seriously, they are one of my favorite beans since they are so quick to cook.

      Reply
  3. Caitlin says

    March 24, 2016 at 3:36 am

    5 stars
    Gorgeous salad! Seriously can’t wait to make it šŸ™‚ Pinned.

    Reply
    • justalittlebitofbacon says

      March 25, 2016 at 3:04 pm

      Thank you! And thanks for the pin! šŸ™‚

      Reply

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Hello, I’m Annemarie

Welcome to my kitchen! I’m a Italian-American girl who loves fresh foods, local ingredients, and all sorts of comfort foods. Here you will find Mediterranean flavors and recipes from a New England perspective.

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