Nohutlu Mercimekli Gün Salatası

Chickpea Lentil Salad 

• 1 c. Green Lentils
• 4 Slender Asian-style Eggplants*
• 2 c. Canned Chickpeas, drained
• 1 ½ c. Corn
• 2 Roasted Sweet Red Peppers, canned
• 7 Small Gherkin Pickles
• 7-8 Green Onions
• ½ bunch of Parsley
• 1-1 ½ oz. fresh Dill
• ¼ c. Olive Oil
• 2 T. Lemon Juice
• 1 tsp. Salt (or less, if desired)

* If you can’t find Asian Eggplants, use only 2 of the large “black” variety.

1. To prepare Green Lentils: Rinse Lentils, place in pot, and add 1-1/4 c. water.  Bring to a boil, then turn heat to lowest setting.
   1. Simmer until soft, about 10 minutes.
   2. Drain any excess water and set aside to cool completely.
2. To prepare Eggplant: After washing Eggplants well, use a fork to poke holes to puncture the skin in several places on each fruit. (This will ensure that the Eggplant doesn’t explode with the high heat.) Note: pictures and an instructional video for the steps below can be found here.
   1. Place Eggplants on wire oven rack, preheated at 400^oF. Bake for 15 minutes then use tongs to flip each fruit to the other side. Bake another 15 minutes.
   2. Once Eggplants are completely tender and limp and the outside is starting to blacken, remove from oven. Place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. This will cause the fruit to steam so that it is easy to remove the skins. Let sit for 15 minutes.
   3. Remove Eggplants from the bowl one at a time. Use a knife to slit the skin lengthwise (from tip to end). Use a spoon to gently scrape the soft fruit from the skin.
   4. When all Eggplants are deskinned, dispose of skins and chop the Eggplant finely. Place in a bowl and set aside to cool completely.
3. Drain and dice the canned Red Peppers.
4. Dice Gherkin Pickles, Green Onions, Parsley and Dill.
5. Mix all prepped ingredients together in a large bowl.
6. Pour in Olive Oil and Lemon Juice.
7. Sprinkle on Salt. Mix well.
8. This festive looking salad is bursting with flavor and ready to serve as soon everything is mixed together. Or you can refrigerate and serve later, though it tastes best fresh. This lasts for up to 5 days in the fridge. This salad is so delicious it might not last long; but could easily be a nice side for a group of 10 people.

Roasted Red Peppers & Pickles, ready to dice

All ingredients prepped and ready to mix together

This festive salad is bursting with flavor and nutrients!