Ingredients:
For the lentil salad:
1 1/2 cupsdried French-style green lentils
Kosher salt
1/3 cupolive oil, plus more to serve
7 cloves garlic, divided (6 thinly sliced, 1 finely grated)
1 teaspooncrushed red pepper flakes, plus more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
4 small Persian cucumbers or 1 large hothouse cucumber, coarsely chopped
1 lemon with peel still on, finely chopped (seeds removed)
2 cupssoft mixed herbs with tender leaves and stems, coarsely chopped (I used cilantro, dill, and parsley)
Flaky sea salt
Optional toppings:
Feta or soft goat’s cheese, crumbled
Castelvetrano olives, crushed
Sumac, for sprinkling
Grilled sausage, such as merguez, on the side
Directions:
Cook the lentils in a large pot of salted, boiling water until just tender, about 18 to 22 minutes. Drain and set aside (do not rinse).
Meanwhile, heat ⅓ cup olive oil in a small pot over medium heat. Add sliced garlic and cook, letting the garlic toast in the oil until golden-brown and tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Add crushed red pepper flakes and remove from heat.
Place lentils in a large bowl and drizzle with the spicy toasted garlic oil. Toss to combine and season again with kosher salt, black pepper, and more crushed red pepper flakes, if you like.
Toss cucumbers in a medium bowl with remaining grated garlic clove and finely chopped lemon, and season with kosher salt and lots of black pepper. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes to get the juices from the cucumber and lemon flowing (they’ll create a liquid that you’ll use to dress the lentils further).
Spoon the cucumber-lemon mixture onto the lentils, along with all their juices. Scatter with herbs, followed by flaky sea salt, black pepper, and a good drizzle of olive oil.
Optional: Scatter the salad with feta, olives, and/or sumac, if using; serve with sausage alongside, if you like.