Lemon Feta Lentil Salad with Spinach
A cold lentil salad tossed with crisp red onion, spinach and feta, brightened with lemon. High in protein and ready in minutes with no cooking at all.
- Total
- 15 min
- Prep 12 · Rest 3
- Serves
- 1
- Difficulty
- Easy
You'll practice: Emulsifying · Balancing with acid
- Savory
- Quick
- No cook
Instructions
-
Drain the lentils (canned) in a colander and shake off as much liquid as possible. Tip them into the mixing bowl.
~3 min
Draining well prevents canning liquid from diluting the dressing, which would make the salad taste flat.
Draining the lentils well matters more than it sounds: any canning liquid left in the bowl waters down the lemon dressing and the salad turns flat.
-
While step 1 waits
While the lentils drain, halve the lemon and squeeze 1 tbsp juice into a small bowl. Add the olive oil, salt and black pepper and whisk with a fork until it looks slightly thickened.
~3 min
Whisking disperses oil into lemon juice, creating a temporary emulsion that coats the lentils evenly.
Emulsifying Whisk oil into lemon juice until it looks slightly thickened; add oil slowly and keep whisking so it doesn't split.
-
Peel the red onion quarter and slice it as thinly as you can, about 2 mm. Add it to the bowl with the lentils.
~3 min
-
Pour the lemon dressing over the lentils and onion and toss until every lentil is glossy.
~2 min
Tossing while the lentils are still slightly warm helps them absorb the dressing and season throughout.
-
Add the spinach and toss for 30 seconds, just until the leaves soften slightly and shrink against the warm dressing. Crumble the feta over the top in rough 1 cm pieces.
~2 min
Brief tossing wilts the spinach slightly without making it soggy, while large feta pieces stay distinct.
Crumble the feta in pieces no smaller than 1 cm so you get distinct salty pockets instead of a cloudy dressing.
-
Let the salad stand so the lemon and salt soak into the lentils, then taste and add a pinch more salt if it needs it.
~3 min
Resting lets the lentils absorb lemon and salt, so the flavors meld and the seasoning balances.
Balancing with acid Taste after resting and add salt or lemon only as needed; the salad should taste bright, not sharp or flat.