Try this Mediterranean Lentil Salad recipe, or contribute your own.
- 3 cups water
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- 1 teaspoon herbes de provence
- 1 1/2 cups chickpeas (dried and rinsed)
- 1 sprig thyme (fresh)
- 1 teaspoon parsley (fresh chopped)
- 5 tablespoons olive oil (divided)
- 1 cup french green lentils (dried rinsed)
- 1 3/4 cups vegetable broth
- 4 tablespoons dry white wine (divided)
- 1/2 cup mint (fresh and chopped)
- 12 ounces cherry tomatoes (quartered)
- 1/4 cup black olives (chopped)
- 1/2 cup feta cheese (crumbled)
- Carbohydrate 1.316 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0 g
- Fiber 0 g
- Protein 0 g
- Saturated Fat 0 g
- Serving Size 1 1 serving (367g)
- Sodium 398.84745000601 mg
- Sugar 1.316 g
- Trans Fat 0 g
- Calories 5 calories
Step-by-step
- In the Instant Pot, combine chickpeas, thyme, parsley, water and 1 tablespoon oil, stirring well.
- Close and lock the lid. Turn the steam release handle to Sealing. Press Manual and increase the time to 38 minutes pressure cooking on high.
- When the timer beeps, press Cancel. Let stand, covered, until the float valve drops down. Turn the steam release handle to Venting and remove the lid.
- The chickpeas should be tender. (If more cooking is needed, cover the pot and press Sauté. Cook, stirring, for 3 to 5 minutes or until tender.)
- Drain and rinse chickpeas and set aside. Rinse and dry inner pot.
- In the inner pot, combine chickpeas, lentils, herbes de Provence, salt, broth and 1 tablespoon of wine.
- Place the pot inside the Instant Pot, close and lock the lid and turn the steam release handle to Venting.
- Press Slow Cook; the indicator will read “Normal.” Adjust the heat level to “Less.” Press to decrease the time on the display to 3:00.
- When the timer beeps, remove the lid and check to make sure the lentils are firm-tender. (If more cooking is needed, reset the slow cooker to “More” for 15 minutes.) Press Cancel.
- In a small bowl, whisk together garlic, mint and the remaining wine.
- Gradually whisk in the remaining oil until emulsified. Drizzle over mixture in pot. Gently stir in the tomatoes and olives.
- Transfer salad to a serving dish and garnish with feta. Enjoy!
Home cooks frequently dump all ingredients into the pressure cooker at once, ignoring how different legumes require distinct softening times. French green lentils hold their shape during long heating cycles, whereas older dried chickpeas demand a strict 38-minute high-pressure cooking window to avoid crunchiness while preventing total disintegration. Combining pressure cooking with a subsequent slow-cooker phase builds layered hydration.
Scaling and Emulsion Mechanics
Doubling this recipe requires maintaining exact liquid-to-legume ratios rather than doubling the broth blindly, because pressure cookers trap steam and do not evaporate excess moisture the way open Dutch ovens do. When whisking the dressing, drizzle the olive oil into the minced garlic and white wine in a slow, steady stream. This mechanical shearing forces oil droplets to suspend evenly within the acid, creating a stable emulsion that coats the firm-tender legumes instead of pooling at the bottom of the serving dish.
- If the lentils remain chalky after three hours of slow cooking, add 2 tablespoons of water and set the pot to 15 minutes of additional heat.
- Substitute canned cannellini beans at a 1:1 ratio if dried chickpeas are unavailable, omitting the initial pressure-cooking step entirely.
- Store dressed leftovers in an airtight glass container for up to three days; the acidity will continue to pickle the quartered cherry tomatoes safely.
