Steps

• First, cook the lentils.

  Boil them in water for about 30 minutes (I cooked 7 oz of dry lentils, of which I then used 8.8 oz of cooked lentils) (and the leftover – a generous portion – was finished by my son).

  👉 I used green lentils, which are particularly suitable for salads, but other varieties of lentils can also be used.

  

• While the lentils are cooking, cook the bell pepper and peas. I cooked both in the microwave, one after the other.

  Cut the bell pepper into slices and cook it in a microwave-safe container. A plate works fine, and a cover is optional. Cooking time 5 minutes. (For the raw weight, consider 5-6 oz, then in the recipe use about 3.5 oz cooked, no more, otherwise it becomes too dominant).

  👉 Flip the slices over halfway through cooking.

  

• Right after cooking the bell pepper (or before 😊), cook the peas, also in the microwave.

  I used frozen peas, they cook perfectly in the microwave while retaining all their flavor. Put them directly from frozen in a microwave-safe container. Proceed as follows:

  Pour the peas into the container, place it in the microwave (with or without a lid) and start it at maximum power. In the first 2 minutes, defrosting occurs, so after 2 minutes open the microwave and stir the peas with a spoon.

  Restart the microwave for another 3 minutes. Then, a rest time of 5-10 minutes is useful. (Weight of frozen peas 5.3 oz, then cooked about 4.2 oz).

  👉 The cooking time for peas may differ according to the size of the peas (I used medium peas).

  ☝ One thing I’ve noticed – not just now, I often cook peas in the microwave, but this explanation is useful now – is that they cook better if they are in not too small quantities (I usually cook 10-14 oz). For small quantities, like the one required by this recipe, be careful with the cooking time because one extra minute can make them too dry. I recommend cooking them in short steps, no longer than one minute, checking the cooking each time and stirring the peas with a spoon. It can be useful to use a small container in this case.

  

• Cooked the three main ingredients, assemble and dress the salad.

  Pour the lentils, peas, and corn into a bowl.

  👉 Drain the corn well from its packing liquid.

• Dice the bell pepper slices and add them to the salad.

  Season with two teaspoons of grated coconut and a teaspoon of green (or pink) peppercorns.

  👉 Proportions are perfect to my taste – especially the coconut, which should be just a hint otherwise it sweetens too much – but they can be adjusted to taste.

  👉 Before using, rinse the green peppercorns under running water to remove the brine.

  

• Finish with a drizzle of olive oil (8-10 g) and mix everything.

  Place in the fridge to cool for at least an hour, or more according to the planned use (side dish? main course? dressing for pasta salads? 😉).

• This lentil and corn salad with bell pepper and peas, dressed with oil, grated coconut, and green pepper is excellent both at room temperature and cold.

  It is ideal as a colorful summer salad and can be served as a side dish or as a vegan main course, thanks to the plant proteins from the lentils.

  Additionally, it’s great as a pasta seasoning or rice seasoning to dress the inevitable pasta salads, rice salads, or couscous or grain salads, which we all have already started to bring to the table (or to work for lunch breaks 😉).