By Alysha Melnyk

As fall approaches and the school year kicks in, it’s always nice to have a few easy recipes on hand. Although we are reaching the end of summer vegetables, this recipe is easy and flexible depending on what vegetables you have on hand. Lentils are highly versatile, and I’ve enjoyed them in summer, autumn and winter dishes.

This recipe is meant to be incredibly easy, with the most involved part being the cooking of the lentils (taking anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes until tender). If you make a bunch of these in advance, it’s easy to store in the refrigeration. Although this recipe has a lot of summer flavors with the arugula, peppers, cucumber and tomatoes, the maple mustard dressing screams autumn to me. It’s a bit sweet and a bit savory, and really ties all of the earthy flavors in this dish together. I totally envision myself recreating this dish with winter greens and root vegetables as winter approaches. Enjoy and happy eating!

Makes 4 Servings

Ingredients

• 1 Cup Green Lentils, Rinsed
• 2 Cups Small Tomatoes, Sliced
• 2 Cups Peppers, Sliced
• 2 Cups Cucumbers, Sliced
• 1 Bag Arugula
• 1 Tablespoon Mustard
• 1 Tablespoon Maple Syrup
• Pepper
• Chili Flakes
• Sea Salt

Directions

1. First, prepare your lentils according to package instructions. I rinsed 1 cup of lentils and added this to two cups of water, simmering for 30 to 45 minutes (or until done). I like my lentils tender but not mushy, so there was still some water I drained from the pan.
2. While your lentils are cooking, rinse/chop/prepare any vegetables you want to use in this salad.
3. You can also prepare your dressing, which is an easy 1 to 1 mix of mustard and maple syrup. You may have to make a bit more depending on how much dressing you prefer to use (I always tend to go lighter).
4. Once your lentils are cooked, plate those with your vegetables, drizzle maple mustard dressing over top, and add additional seasonings (salt, pepper, chili flakes) as desired.
5. Enjoy!

Alysha Melnyk is the Founder and Content Creator of The Kitchenologist©, a food blog dedicated to healthy eating and kitchen experiments. Alysha combined her background in biology with her passion for making food delicious, eye-catching, and accessible. When she’s not cooking in the kitchen or dreaming up a recipe, Alysha works full time as an Implementation Specialist and Lead Educator at ECRI, an international medical nonprofit located in suburban Philadelphia that is dedicated to improving patient safety worldwide. Alysha finds her many career passions revolve around the power of knowledge and that equipping people with the right tools and resources will help them make better informed decisions.