Big Green Lentil Salad

Big Green Lentil Salad

Cool yogurt, crunchy seeds, and avocado turn lentils into a lunch salad you’ll actually be excited to eat. Serve it with warm pita for swiping up the garlicky yogurt. We have Heidi Swanson, thevegetarian cookbook author and blogger behind 101 Cookbooks, to thank for this lightning-fast weeknight dinner recipe.

Ingredients:
1½ cups green lentils, rinsed
¾ tsp. kosher salt, divided, plus more
1⅓ cups plain Greek yogurt
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
½ tsp. ground turmeric
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup unsalted, roasted sunflower seeds
1 Tbsp. plus 1½ tsp. fresh lemon juice
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 ripe avocado, cut into cubes
1 cup baby arugula
1 cup basil leaves, torn if large

Directions:
Cook lentils in a large saucepan of simmering salted water until they are tender but still retain their shape, 20–30 minutes. Drain, rinse under cold running water, and drain well again.

Mix yogurt, garlic, turmeric, ¼ tsp. salt, and a generous grind of pepper in a small bowl to combine; set aside.

Toss lentils, sunflower seeds, lemon juice, 3 Tbsp. oil, and remaining ½ tsp. salt in a large bowl. Gently fold in avocado, arugula, and basil.

Spread reserved yogurt sauce across a platter and spoon lentil mixture on top; drizzle with oil.