• Rinse and cook your lentils in boiling salted water for about 20 minutes until the lentils are cooked. Taste one to see if it's cooked through. You want it to be a bit firm on the outside, but soft on the inside (similar to a sunflower seed without the shell).
  ¾ cup green lentils
• Drain cooked lentils and place the hot lentils in a bowl.

Dressing

• While the lentils are cooking, make the dressing. Place all the ingredients in a jar with a lid and shake vigorously until combined.
  3 tablespoons olive oil, zest from one lemon, 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 2 cloves garlic, 1 tablespoon chives, ¼ teaspoon salt, ⅛ teaspoon pepper

Assembling the Salad

• While the lentils are still warm, pour the dressing over the top. Stir to coat. Allow the lentils to cool at room temperature.
• Stir in the cucumbers, bell pepper, onion, and parsley.
  1 cup cucumber, ½ cup red bell pepper, ¼ cup red onion, 2 tablespoons Italian parsley
• Taste and add more salt and pepper, or lemon juice as desired.
• Garnish with additional chopped chives and parsley.
• Serve right away or cover and refrigerate.