This is a great side as is or amped it up with a few Kalamata olives, grilled artichokes or eggplant. Just be sure to increase the olive oil a bit and maybe add a bit of sherry vinegar.
Ingredients
Tear Drop or Cherry Tomatoes, 2 pints - cut into ¼" pieces
Fresh Basil, 1 ½ cups – loosely chopped
Garlic, 6 cloves – minced
Olive Oil, 4-5 Ts
Black or Green Lentils, 3 Cups cooked
Salt and Pepper
Please buy organic whenever possible!
Preparation
In a small prep bowl, combine minced garlic and olive oil – set aside (this allows the garlic to mellow out a bit). Cook the lentils or smoosh the pre-cooked ones out of the packet into a medium bowl. Add the tomatoes, basil, garlic, and olive oil. Toss gently – salt and pepper to taste. This is a good opportunity to use some fancy finishing salts, like smoked salt or a garlic salt. Sit the finished salad out for a good hour or so – toss every 15 min. or so to get a good marination going. Refrigerate. But, to serve, take this out ahead of time so it is just about room temp to serve.Â