Greek Salad Dip

Greek Salad Dip

Serves 6 as an appetizer

I'll bring this dip to summer parties, but it's also great to keep stocked at home for a quick lunch. Stuff the mixture into a pita or into romaine leaves to make a meal of it. Not that crackers and a dip like this are not a sufficient lunch. You could add some cooked quinoa and a little more dressing and consider it a side dish, making it even more perfect for backyard BBQs.

Ingredients:

1 cup cooked French Lentils
2-3 persian cucumbers
2 roma tomatoes, or something similar
1/2 a red bell pepper, seeds and ribs removed
1/3 cup minced red onion
1/2 cup chopped kalamata olives
1/4 cup fresh chopped flat-leaf parsley
3 Tbsp. fresh chopped oregano leaves
1/2 tsp. sea salt
pinch of red pepper flakes
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
1/2-3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese, to taste

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Directions:
Put the lentils into a large mixing bowl. Scoop out the seedy center and finely dice the cucumbers. Do the same with the tomatoes and red pepper. The smaller the dice, the easier to scoop with a cracker. Add them to the mixing bowl. Add the red onion, olives, parsley, oregano, salt, pepper flakes, olive oil and vinegar and stir to mix. Gently stir in the crumbled feta and taste for seasonings.

Serve at room temperature or chilled. The salad will keep for 4-5 days in the fridge, the vegetables getting a bit softer by the day but still enjoyable.