Couscous Lentil Salad

To prepare couscous, first heat a small amount of olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Then, cook and stir the couscous in the hot oil until it's lightly browned and has a pleasant aroma, taking about 3 to 4 minutes. Next, pour in water and bring the mixture to a boil; cover it, lower the heat to medium-low, and let it simmer until the couscous is tender and soft, which should take around 10 minutes. After that, drain the couscous under cold running water in a colander and transfer it to a large serving dish. Finally, stir the remaining olive oil into the couscous until it's evenly coated.

Subsequently, place lentils in a small saucepan and cover them with water; bring the mixture to a boil. Then, reduce the heat to medium-low and let it simmer until the lentils are tender and have broken down, which should take about 15 to 20 minutes. After that, drain the lentils under cold running water in a colander and add them to the couscous.

To assemble the salad, combine all the ingredients including tomatoes, cucumber, red bell pepper, cranberries, raisins, red onion, chives, green onion, parsley, and sumac with the couscous-lentil mixture.

To create the dressing, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, honey, salt, and pepper in a small bowl until everything is well combined.

Pour the dressing over the salad and stir until it's evenly coated. Finally, let the salad chill in the refrigerator for a period of time that allows the flavors to meld together, ideally 8 hours or overnight.