3-Ingredient Lentil Salad with Feta Cheese

If you've got a Trader Joe's within hailing distance, you're going to love this.  If you don't, you're still going to really, really like it.  We recently discovered this little gem of a salad on the Trader Joe's website, and subsequently realized that everyone who's ever been to a Trader Joe's has been making it for like ever.  As per usual, we're just a bit late to the party here, but if we're late, I'm going to assume that there may be a few more stragglers out there.

So what we have here is a scrumptious, healthy and ever so easy salad made up of 3 ingredients that you can find on Trader Joe's shelves... bruschetta sauce, steamed lentils and crumbled feta cheese.  Mix.  Eat.  Repeat.

As you can see from this photo, I cooked my own lentils, which is easy peasy and used my favorite block of feta, which just also happens to come from Trader Joe's.  In the recipe below, I'll give you all the info on making this with TJ's ingredients and also how to make it if Trader Joe's has not as yet discovered your neighborhood.  Just give them time.

So far we've eaten this as a side dish with some gently cooked salmon, we've eaten it cold as a salad, we've used it as a dip for crackers and as a crostini topping (reference above photo).  Each application has been enjoyed thoroughly.  I can also imagine that this would be divine stashed away in the fridge at work for a quick lunch or healthy snack.

OK then, I vote that we stop talking about this and get some made.  Here's the recipe...

3-Ingredient Lentil Salad with Feta Cheese

Click here for a printable recipe

This salad comes together in a jiffy if you have access to Trader Joe's products.  But if you don't, I've given you directions below on how to put this together without them.  We love this as a side dish with salmon or chicken, as a salad at lunch, as a dip with crackers and a crostini topping.  

Recipe courtesy of Trader Joe's

1 pkg Trader Joe's steamed lentils
1/2 container of TJ's Bruschetta sauce
1 6-oz container of TJ's crumbled feta

Combine the ingredients and let sit for 30 minutes to marinate.  Serve at room temp.

If you don't have access to Trader Joe's, here's how to make your own...

1.   Use 3/4 cup of your favorite crumbled feta cheese

2.   Make some bruschetta sauce... (from King Arthur Flour)

• 2 medium-sized ripe tomatoes, diced

• 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced

• 1 tablespoon minced fresh basil

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

• Blend all of the ingredients in a small glass or ceramic bowl, and let the mixture rest for at least 10 minutes at room temperature. Refrigerate until ready to use.

3.  Make some lentils...

Place 1 1/2 cups dry lentils in a pot of water (about 4 - 5 cups), add 2 teaspoons of salt and bring to a boil.  Once they come to a boil, cook for 15-20 minutes.  Test at 15 minutes as some lentil varieties cook more quickly.  Drain, let cool before adding to the salad.

Combine the lentils, bruschetta sauce and feta cheese as directed above.