Greek Lentil and Feta Salad
A friend sat down in the row behind me at church yesterday - so she would have a good view of my scrumptious baby for an hour she said. He is absolutely delicious, so I didn't mind a bit as she leaned across the benches to admire him.
Then she said something that surprised me. "Allison," she said, "you are so lucky." And she said it like she meant it.
I kept thinking about that as the church services began. Someone thinks I'm lucky? The single mother, twice over at that, with three children and an infant. That's some luck.
The truth is though, I really am lucky. She was absolutely right and I'm grateful to her for the gentle reminder. It can be too easy to look for what is wrong, or assume that everyone else is looking at what's wrong in your life too. Deliberately focusing on what is right, however, is a much more peaceful way to live.
In other words:
No matter how far I may be from my own ideal situation, the truth is that I am still lucky in a thousand different ways. Not the least of those blessings is the privilege of being a mother to these four incredible human beings. It's hard, don't get me wrong, but humbling in the best of ways. I'm lucky, even when I'm right in the middle of the mess. You are lucky too, I'm sure of it.
And speaking of lucky, I have a whole bunch of healthy herbs growing in my garden this summer. The fresh mint outside inspired the weekend's Watermelon Vanilla Mint Cooler (yum!), and then the fresh basil that is gaining height rapidly inspired this Greek Lentil and Feta Salad (double yum!).
This simple salad is ready in 30 minutes. It is delicious stuffed in pita bread with lettuce or spinach and makes a quick, healthy lunch or even a light vegetarian dinner. (You can serve it without the pitas too, though it feels a bit more like a side salad that way - it would be good served alongside some chicken souvlaki.) It's going to be in heavy rotation at my house this month because it is so easy, healthy, and delicious. Lentils with a Greek flavor twist make my mouth happy!
Yield: 6
Greek Lentil and Feta Salad
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
25 minutes
Total Time
35 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cup dried green lentils, rinsed and picked over
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 red onion, chopped
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- ⅓ cup fresh basil, chopped
- ⅓ cup sliced, pitted kalamata olives
- the juice from one medium lemon, about 3 tablespoons
- 1 cup feta cheese crumbles
- 2 cups chopped lettuce or baby spinach (optional)
- 6 pita breads, cut in half for stuffing (optional)
Instructions
- Place the lentils in a medium pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium. Boil until just tender, about 20 minutes. Do not overcook - the lentils should not be mushy. Drain and set aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Saute the pepper, onion, and garlic until just tender, about 5 minutes.
- In a large bowl, combine the cooked lentils, sauteed veggies, basil, and olives. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil and lemon juice, then toss lightly until well combined. Gently stir in the feta. Serve as is or spoon it into pita breads with spinach or lettuce. Serves 6 as a main dish, or 8 to 10 as a side salad.
Notes
Adapted from The Home Creamery
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