I make this as a vegetarian dish by adding some dairy toppings. For a vegan dish omit the garnishes.

We start our dinner tonight with a Greek salad embellished with leftover tabbouleh and thinly sliced cucumber. The cheese on top is cotija, a salty Mexican cheese. It is standing in for feta. We have a hunk of it left from chicken enchiladas last week.

Greek salad with tabbouleh, cucumbers, and cotija cheese

Our main course is red lentils cooked in the Afghani style. I love how red lentils come out of their package as a pale salmon-y color and turn a vibrant yellow when you cook them. Afghani style lentils are cooked in a soupy mixture of vegetable broth, onions, garlic, ginger, and spices. It only takes about 15 minutes to cook. I serve it with a dollop of yogurt or sour cream, a sprinkling of sumac, and pita.

Afghani red lentils with sumac, sour cream, and pita.