Name: Pearl Couscous Lentil Salad
Prep time: 22 min
Cook time: 52 min
Total time: 75 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: mediterranean
Ingredients: 1 cup French green puy lentils (soaked for 1-2 hours*); 1 null medium yellow onion (diced); 2 null red bell pepper (diced); 2 null carrots (diced); 6 null garlic cloves (minced); 1 cup pearl or israeli couscous; 3.5 cups low-sodium vegetable broth; 2 tsp kosher salt; null null freshly cracked black pepper; 2 null bay leaves; 1 handful fresh thyme sprigs; 2.5 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil; 1.5 tbsp red wine vinegar; 1 bunch fresh dill ((about 1 cup), finely chopped); 1 cup fresh italian-flat leaf parsley (finely chopped); 15 null pitted green olives (sliced); 1 pint cherry tomatoes (halved or quartered); null null kosher salt (to taste); null null freshly cracked black pepper (to taste)

Instructions

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1

Soak the French green puy lentils (1 cup) in [water] to cover for 1-2 hours. Drain the lentils.
2

Place the soaked and drained [French green puy lentils], yellow onion (1 medium), bell pepper (2 red), carrots (2), cloves (6 garlic), pearl or israeli couscous (1 cup), low-sodium vegetable broth (3.5 cups), kosher salt (2 tsp), [freshly cracked black pepper] to taste, leaves (2 bay), and fresh thyme sprigs (1 handful) in the Instant Pot and stir well to combine.
3

Secure the lid and set the Pressure Release to Sealing. Select the Pressure Cook setting at high pressure and set the cook time to 3 minutes.
4

Once the 3-minute timer has completed and beeps, allow a natural pressure release for 10 minutes and then switch the Pressure Release knob from Sealing to Venting to release any remaining steam.
5

Open the pot and discard the [bay leaves] and [fresh thyme sprigs].
6

Transfer the couscous-lentil mixture to a large bowl and allow to come to room temperature.
7

To the couscous-lentil mixture, add the extra-virgin olive oil (2.5 tbsp), red wine vinegar (1.5 tbsp), fresh dill (1 bunch), fresh italian-flat leaf parsley (1 cup), green olives (15 pitted), cherry tomatoes (1 pint), and [kosher salt] and [freshly cracked black pepper] to taste. Stir to combine and taste for seasonings, adding more [kosher salt] and [freshly cracked black pepper] as needed, or a splash more [red wine vinegar] for acidity.