Bring a medium saucepan filled with 2 quarts (1.9 L) water and 2 tablespoons salt to a boil.

Add 1 1/2 cups black beluga lentils, give them a good stir and return the water to a simmer, adjusting the heat as necessary to maintain a simmer while they cook. Simmer until they are cooked through and no longer toothsome but not mushy, 15 to 35 minutes, depending on what type of lentils you have and how old they are. Taste them periodically to evaluate their doneness before draining them.

Drain the lentils in a fine-mesh strainer and let them cool in the strainer while you prepare the walnut dressing. Reserve the saucepan.

Coarsely chop 1 cup walnuts.

In the reserved saucepan, combine 1/2 cup olive oil and the chopped walnuts and cook over medium-low heat, swirling the pan often so that they cook evenly, until golden brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Keep an eye on them, as they can turn from toasty to burnt pretty quickly. Remove from the heat.

Add 1 tablespoon cumin seeds and 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander and stir to combine. Using a Microplane, immediately grate 3 garlic cloves into the still-hot oil; stir to combine.

Stir in 1/3 cup golden raisins, 1/3 cup red wine vinegar and 1 teaspoon salt.

Add the drained lentils back to the medium saucepan with the walnut mixture and gently stir everything to combine.

Thinly slice 1 (4-oz/113-g) block of feta into large 1/4-inch-thick planks.

Tear 1 1/2 cups basil leaves in half, or into small pieces if large, and toss them through the lentils. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. Divide the lentils among 4 serving bowls. Top each with a few feta planks and black pepper and drizzle with more olive oil.