Greek Chopped Salad with Lentils

Active Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Low Carb/Paleo
Vegetarian

Big Kids Plate

Toddler Plate

Why we love it:

Baking your own fresh pita chips and tossing the warm, dressed lentils is the key to the interesting taste in this salad. Packed with veggies and a rainbow of colors, temperatures, and textures makes it bright and healthy and filling.

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Ingredients

2 cups Green Lentils
2 teaspoons Kosher Salt (divided)
4 cups Water
1 15-ounce can White Beans
3 Pitas (or flour tortillas)
¹⁄₄ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil (plus another teaspoon or so, divided)
¹⁄₄ teaspoon Black Pepper (freshly cracked)
1 head Romaine Lettuce
¹⁄₂ head Red Cabbage
1 English Cucumber
1 Whole Tomato (whatever variety looks delicious)
1 Red Bell Pepper
4 ounces Feta Cheese
1 teaspoon Dried Oregano
1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 Lemon (zest and juice)
¹⁄₂ teaspoon Honey
¹⁄₂ teaspoon Dijon Mustard
¹⁄₄ cup Cider Vinegar

Cooking Instructions

1. PREHEAT THE OVEN TO 350 DEGREES
2. LENTILS

Combine lentils, 1 teaspoon of salt, and water in a pot. Bring to a boil, stir, partially cover the pot, and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 25 - 30 minutes or until the lentils are tender but not falling apart. Drain any excess water and let cool a bit.
3. PITA + BEANS

Open and drain the beans. Pat dry and place on one side of a baking sheet. Slice the pita into rough triangles or odd-square shapes. Place off to the other side, and drizzle with oil (about ½ teaspoon) and a pinch of salt and black pepper. Toss to coat. Bake for 5 - 8 minutes, tossing once or twice for even crisping, and remove when it’s crunchy and golden brown.
4. SALAD

Wash and dry lettuce; pat or spin dry. Slice lettuce. Remove the core from the cabbage and slice it thinly. Toss together in a large bowl.

Dice the cucumber, tomato, and bell pepper. Crumble the feta. Add to the bowl.
5. DRESSING

Combine 1 teaspoon of salt, the dried oregano, garlic powder, and lemon zest in a small bowl. Add the lemon juice. Add honey, Dijon, black pepper and vinegar. Whisk to combine. Add a ¼ cup of olive oil and whisk well until emulsified.

Pour a few teaspoons of dressing over the warm lentils and gently toss.

Toss the rest of the salad with dressing to taste. Add the beans and pita.
6. SERVING

Pile the tossed salad high in bowls and top with warm lentils.

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Substitutions

GLUTEN FREE:

use GF pita or croutons, or omit and try adding sunflower seeds for crunch
DAIRY FREE:

omit cheese
PESCATARIAN:

sear some shrimp or add smoked salmon
FETA:

blue cheese, fresh goat cheese, queso fresco
VEGGIES:

change out at will here, use what’s in the fridge or what you enjoy
LETTUCE:

combine with cabbage or not, use spring mix greens or whatever you have
DRESSING:

use your favorite prepared dressing
FASTER:

you can use a can of lentils, just warm them gently in a pot or sauté pan before tossing with dressing

Kid Friendly Version

Big Kids Plate

Toddler Plate

How to Tweak This Recipe for Kids:

Add and swap veggies to find a combination of known favorites and 1 or 2 new things to try
Yogurt or hummus as dip might be better than dressing
Try assembling this as a simple salad to get used to the look of it and keep the dressing on the side Keep any new items on the side and not “touching” If not vegetarian, sear some chicken, sausages, sliced ham or turkey, or frozen shrimp to add

For Toddlers

Assemble in a rainbow with new tastes separate
Consider adding avocado or yogurt or another dip they enjoy
Mashing the beans with a fork makes them easier on a spoon, but leaving them whole is fun to eat with fingers - perhaps try both

For Choosy Eaters

Keep everything separate
Serve with an approved dip - ketchup, BBQ, honey mustard If needed, cook some pasta on the side
Try some pita as a sandwich with cheese (use feta or what you have that they like)
Go heavy on favorite veggies and pita

Prep Ahead & Use It Up

Cook the lentils. Either serve cold or reheat for serving
Crisp the beans and pita. Store pita at room temp and refrigerate beans. Rewarm both gently before serving if you like, cold is ok too
Make the salad dressing