Cold Lentil Salad with Peaches

Cold Lentil Salad with Peaches is a refreshing and nutrition-packed summer meal. Tangy tahini dressing makes all the difference. Perfect for lunch or picnics on hot days.

How often do you eat lentils? Is it one of the underrated foods in your kitchen? It is one of the foods on our top favorite list. We’re so lucky that there is a fan of this super food in our house. No it’s not me. Neither is my husband. Our 4-year-old son LOVES lentils and he gobbles it up whenever I make something with lentils. This cold lentil salad has already become his favorite summer salad.

Personally I think lentils match the mood of winter thanks to its hearty flavor, that’s why we use it quite often on cold days. On top of my son’s favorite winter soup is Lentil and Spinach Soup, which makes a wonderful meal on its own. He would be happy if I made it every single day but let’s give a break and wait at least until September before starting to make this super tasty and filling soup.

With the rising temperature though, I’m obsessed with making salads and serving them as a meal. Have you seen our latest salad recipes? We’ve been enjoying them since the beginning of summer. The best lunch when it is intolerably hot. We sometimes make a salad at home and take it out for a picnic.

The idea of this cold lentil salad came to my mind when I was making a Tahini Cucumber Potato Salad for a potluck party. Seeing that how tasty it is in that salad makes me think of other combinations. A delicious and refreshing lentil salad with herbs was in my mind to be precise. I use purslane, parsley and green onion in this recipe, but you can use whatever you have on hand. In addition to herbs, peaches and tomatoes in the salad make a combination of sweet and tangy flavors. Plus, they release their tasty juice in the salad, which is something needed to give it a summer feeling.

As we are in summer, using peaches and corn in a salad is something indispensable for me. Peaches might look optional in this recipe, but it’s NOT. The refreshing and sweet flavor of peaches  and the hearty flavor of lentils are wonderfully balanced.

I made this salad with dried lentils because they cook really fast. You don’t need canned lentils for this recipe. They get tender enough within 15-20 minutes while you are preparing the other ingredients of the salad. However, you need to make sure that the cooked lentils are not hot when combining with herbs and other salad ingredients. To avoid this, drain lentils and rinse quickly.

When everything is combined in a salad bowl, it looks ready to serve. So fresh and colorful! Yet, we need a final touch with the dressing. Although this cold lentil salad is already tasty as it is, the dressing turns it into a remarkable summer salad that nobody can refuse. We make a simple combination of tahini, lemon juice, olive oil and garlic that makes a burst of flavors in your mouth.

If you want to add more protein to your salad, top it with some grilled halloumi slices.

You can make it ahead of time and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or longer if you don’t add the garlic.

About the Cold Lentil Purslane Salad

• I use regular green lentils in this salad but you can use other kinds of lentils as well. Just make sure they don’t get mushy and hold their shape when cooked.
• Don’t overcook the lentils, mine cook within 15-20 minutes but I always check after 15 minutes. They might easily get mushy, which is not good in a salad, so don’t forget to check when cooking lentils.
• If you use canned lentils, I recommend that you pour the dressing over them and marinate for about an hour so that they absorb the flavors better.
• I never remove the seeds of tomatoes when adding them in a salad because I love to have the juice of my salad when everything finishes in the bowl. If you don’t want that juice in your salad, deseed the tomatoes.
• Cooked corn on the cob is used in this recipe but you can just use canned corn as well.

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