Fresh herbs make everything taste better. This easy, delicious, nutritionally dense salad is no exception! It tastes fantastic right after it’s been mixed together. The fresh dill and fresh chives are perfectly paired with lemon juice, a hint of dijon and olive oil. It’s almost too easy to eat this healthy.

This salad is great for potlucks, picnics, lunches, and really, any season of the year. If the salad is left in the refrigerator for hours before serving, make sure to taste the salad, and adjust it. It will likely need more lemon juice and a bit more salt. Also, while I added hemp seeds to bulk up the nutritional content (omega-3’s, vitamins, minerals), they do not add anything to the flavor. If you want to skip them, it will have zero impact on how this tastes. For a variation on the flavor, add some vegan parmesan, like Follow Your Heart.

Lentil Dill Salad

1 cup dried green lentils

1 cup pearled barley

5 cups water

2 Tbsp fresh dill, chopped

2 ½ Tbsp fresh chives, chopped

¼ cup lemon juice

⅓ cup olive oil

¼ tsp dijon mustard

1 cup carrots, julienned

⅓ cup red pepper, finely chopped

⅓ cup hemp seeds, optional – (see note above)

Salt and black pepper, to taste

1. Add 1 cup of dried green lentils to a medium saucepan with 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, and then, reduce to low-medium heat. Keep uncovered and boil for about 20-25 minutes or until lentils are tender. Drain off excess liquid, and rinse with cold water. Set aside.

2. While the lentils are boiling, add 1 cup of barley to 3 cups of water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, and then, turn down the heat to low-medium and cover with a lid. Boil for ~20 minutes or until the barley is tender and ready to eat. Drain off the excess water and rinse in a colander with cold water until the barley is completely cool. Set aside.

3. In a large mixing bowl, add dill, chives, lemon juice, olive oil, dijon, salt and black pepper. Whisk until very well combined. Add the carrots, red pepper, barley, lentils and hemp seeds (if using) to the mixing bowl. Stir together, taste and adjust seasonings, if needed (salt, black pepper, etc). Serve.

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