Red Lentil Salad with Dried Fruit & Toasted Pine Nuts - 3 Guiding Stars
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Three Guiding Stars icon Three Guiding Stars indicate the best nutritional value.

Quick-cooking red lentils and bulgur make up the bulk of this hearty salad. Lemon juice and lemon zest add zip to the sweet dried fruits, mint, and cinnamon. The sweet and tart combination is a classic Middle Eastern flavor profile, and worth devouring.

Ingredients

  • 1½ cups water
  • ½ tsp. cinnamon
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • 1 cup bulgur
  • ½ cup red lentils
  • 3 Tbsp. pine nuts
  • ½ cup chopped pitted dates
  • ½ cup chopped dried apricots
  • ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
  • ⅓ cup chopped fresh mint
  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • ¼ cup lemon juice
  • 2 tsp. lemon zest

Directions

  1. Bring water, cinnamon, and salt to a boil in a small saucepan. Stir in bulgur, remove from the heat, cover the pan and set aside until the water has been absorbed (30 minutes). Transfer to a large bowl and let cool to room temperature (15 minutes).
  2. While bulgur is cooling, place lentils in a medium pot with enough water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a simmer and cook until the lentils are tender (15-20 minutes). Drain and rinse under cold water, pressing firmly to remove excess water.
  3. Toast pine nuts in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat until lightly browned (2-3 minutes). Transfer to a plate to cool.
  4. Add lentils, two-thirds of the pine nuts, and remaining ingredients to the bulgur. Toss well. Sprinkle the remaining third of the pine nuts on top.
Nutritional analysis per serving: Calories 275; Total Fat 8.5g (11% Daily Value); Saturated Fat 1g (5% DV); Trans Fat 0g; Cholesterol 0mg (0% DV); Sodium 205mg (9% DV); Total Carbohydrate 46g (17% DV); Dietary Fiber 7.5g (26% DV); Total Sugars 14g; Includes 0g Added Sugars (0% DV); Protein 8g; Vitamin D 0% DV; Calcium 4% DV; Iron 20% DV; Potassium 10% DV; Manganese 70% DV; Vitamin K 70% DV; Copper 50% DV.
Recipe by Guiding Stars at https://guidingstars.com/recipes/red-lentil-salad-with-dried-fruit-toasted-pine-nuts/
© 2025 Guiding Stars Licensing Company. All rights reserved. US Patent Nos. 7,974,881; 8,626,796