Bruschetta Lentil Salad

The easiest healthy meal you can make 

(for lunch, dinner, or as a hearty side)

I love Trader Joe’s. Anywhere that gives me fewer options—while not skimping on the quality—ranks high in my book. Such is the beauty of In-n-Out, right? (Although, their milkshakes desperately need a Chick-fil-A-style makeover. And their fries are only good fresh and hot. But when they are hot, and dipped in their spread, yum.)

This simplicity of choices eliminates the selection anxiety that so often paralyzes me at grocery stores/fast food places/even restaurants. I just want something really good, so why do I have to navigate between seven different brands of peanut butter?

My admiration for the store runs deep enough that my sister* jokingly accused me of working some undercover job for Trader Joe’s to promote their products. This was after several instances of me recommending TJ’s brand products to her, or waxing eloquent about recipes that used only ingredients found at TJ’s. I wish they paid me for that. (If you are hiring, I want that job!)

This recipe is one of those beauties, though I can’t claim credit for it. My fabulous friend Devanie, who is as cool as her name makes her sound, served it to us when my kids and I crashed at her place on our first road trip sans Spencer. She has great taste in interior design (her background), in fashion, in food, so of course I have recreated everything that she fed me many times. And she loves Trader Joe’s too!

Now, this is one of my go-to quick meals. It can be whipped up in as long as it takes you to dice an avocado, open three packages, unscrew a lid, dump, and stir. It couldn’t be easier or quicker. (But it could be cheaper, if you just bought uncooked lentils and cooked them yourself in some broth. And you could also skip the avocado if you want to make it even less expensive.)

Plus, it is high in plant-based protein and served on leafy greens, both of which make our cells sing for joy! And even with so little prep and no meat as a flavor-cheater, the flavor is robust and fantastic. The combination of the bruschetta (pronounced bruce-KEH-ta if you want to sound Italian, or if your husband speaks Italian and thinks the Anglicized version sounds ridiculous!) and the feta is mouth-watering. And then add to that the creaminess of the avocado and the slightly bitter bite of the arugula to really round out the flavors.

You are going to thank me for this. And then we are all going to thank Devanie together!

Full Ingredients List:

   -1 (7 oz) package of arugula (If you hate it, you could use some other leafy green, but it does

pair excellently with the other flavors of this recipe.)

   -1 (12 oz) jar of bruschetta (I recently made it using TJ’s fresh bruschetta, but I surprisingly

prefer their jarred version for this.)

   -1 (17.6 oz) package of steamed lentils

   -3-4 oz feta cheese**, crumbled (I usually buy TJs 6 oz package of Crumbled Feta with

Mediterranean Herbs since the added seasonings go so well with this dish.)

   -1 ripe avocado, optional (As you can see in the photos, I didn’t have an avocado when I made

it the last time.)

Recipe:

Mix together in a medium sized bowl the:

   -1 package of steamed lentils

   -1 jar of bruschetta

Crumble in the:

   -3-4 oz feta cheese**

Dice:

   -1 ripe avocado

and sprinkle the pieces of avocado with a little salt. (As my brother Matt taught me, always salt avocado. That is, if you want it to taste good.) Add it to the bruschetta lentil mixture and gently combine it all.

To serve:

Spoon a generous heaping of the bruschetta lentil mixture over:

   -an individual plate serving of arugula

(If you aren’t going to eat it all in one sitting/if you don’t want to plate individual servings, serve the bruschetta lentil mixture in one bowl and the arugula in another, so you won’t get the greens soggy. Then you can just refrigerate the leftovers separately and enjoy them later.)

Dig in! The bruschetta is juicy enough and flavorful enough that it creates its own dressing, so no additional dressing is needed. If you want to kick up the acid a notch, feel free to drizzle a little balsamic vinegar over the lentil mixture, but it really isn’t necessary.

*Now she is really the one who should be starting a food blog. She has always been a gourmet chef and now has the Culinary Institute of America diploma to prove it. She is inspiring in so many ways.

**Simply skip the feta to make it vegan.