Mediterranean Lentil Salad

As I've mentioned here and here, I've been recently going through a bit of a salad phase. I've been experimenting with quinoa and now with lentils and have been pleasantly surprised with how delicious and filling they've turned out! This is my most recent salad experiment and it did not disappoint. I added some fresh tomatoes, a red pepper, and used the lentils from Trader Joe's that are already cooked and just need to be heated. The whole salad only took a few minutes to prepare!

Mediterranean Lentil Salad
Serves 6-8

1.5 cups lentils

1/2 cup sliced sundried tomatoes

1/3 cup kalamata olives, pitted and chopped

1/3 cup chopped flat leaf parsley

3 Tbsp. red wine vinegar1 tsp. dijon mustard

2 Tbsp. good quality extra virgin olive oil

3 oz. goat cheese, crumbled

sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Bring a pot of water and the bay leaf to a boil. Rinse and pick over the lentils, and then add them to the boiling water. Cook until soft, about 20-25 minutes.
Drain the lentils and set aside to cool slightly. Toss with the sundried tomatoes, olives and parsley.
Whisk together the shallot, red wine vinegar and dijon. Slowly add the olive oil, whisking constantly until the dressing emulsifies. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour the dressing over the slightly warm lentils and mix to combine. Top with goat cheese crumbles. Serve at room temperature.