Lentil, chickpea and tomato salad

This past weekend has been a quiet one for slowing down to tidy the house, read, chat with our neighbour and eat salads.  I love getting out of the house but I could do with a few more weekends like these.  And I could do with more salads like this lentil, chickpeas and tomato salad.

I found the recipe in a supermarket magazine.  It looked beautiful and seemed a good way to use up the parsley in the fridge and the mint in the garden.  As so often happens, it took a few days to get around to making it.  I picked some mint before the recent hot weather to save it but by the time I got around to make it, the leaves were not quite as green as in the above photo.

I was able to salvage some mint from the picked bunch and from my pots.  While the mint was straggly, it was doing better than my parsley which is struggling but hanging in there.  In previous years I have tried to grow parsley in pots and failed but this year I am hopeful I will find my parsley mojo.  It seems to grow like a weed for others so it might finally work for me.

The salad was easy to put together and really delicious.  We ate it for tea and found it really filling.  It would look beautiful on a buffet .  I really like the look of the slick of hummus. I loved the salad so much I made it again for tea tonight.  In retrospect I think I could have made the lentil and chickpea mixture for 4 people, kept half in the fridge overnight and then just added the hummus and feta on the second night.  Or maybe try it with different dips or vegies.  The possibilities are endless.

More pulses in salads on Green Gourmet Giraffe:
Beetroot and lentil salad with yoghurt dressing (gf)
Cobb salad with smoked nuts and blue cheese (gf)
Smoky potato, bean and corn salad (gf, v)
Taco salad with creamy dressing (gf)
Warm pea and lentil salad (gf, v)
Zucchini, greens and chickpea salad with blueberry dressing (gf, v)

Lentil, chickpea and tomato salad
Adapted from  Woolworths Fresh Jan/Feb 2018
Serves 2

1/2 x 400g tin of lentils, rinsed and drained
1/2 x 400g tin of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
200g medley of cherry tomatoes, chopped
1 spring onion, finely sliced
handful of parsley leaves, chopped
handful of mint leaves, chopped
juice and zest of 1/4 to 1/2 lemon
1 tbsp olive oil
seasoning
100g hummus
50g feta
flat bread and lemon wedges to serve

Mix lentils, chickpeas, tomatoes, spring onion, herbs, lemon zest and juice and olive oil in a medium mixing bowl.  Season.  Spread a shallow serving platter with hummus and top with lentil and chickpea mixture.  Crumble feta over the top.  Serve with grilled flatbread and lemon wedges.  Dig in.

NOTES: I found less lemon juice suited me better but it probably depends on the size of your lemon.  You could add some other vegetables.  I added some capsicum the second night which I enjoyed and had been tempted to add a little celery.  I also served without mint the second night and it was still good.  On the second night I served this in separate plates which was easier to eat but for a buffet I would double this recipe and serve on a platter.  I think it is tasty enough to eat without feta for a vegan version or even better with a vegan feta like this one.

On the stereo:
Ugly Beautiful: baby bird