Lentil salad

 

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Grains and legumes are a big part of our food at home, served on their own , combined with other ingredients or made into delicious winter soups.

There are different kinds of lentils and each lend itself to different preparation:

Brown lentils are soup lentils for me as they don’t retain their shape well when cooked and in a soup, melt into beautiful creamy oblivion. Mind you, I often use a few different varieties of lentils in my lentil soup because I like the texture that some of them add.

Du Puy French lentils, greenish brown (aka green lentils), are perfect for salads as they easily retain their shape and texture when cooked.

Black beluga lentils are also good for salads as they retain their shape and a subtle crunch when cooked.

Red lentils are for soups or mushy dishes like Indian daal.

For this dish I use green lentils and they made a beautiful little salad served warm or at room temperature.

The recipe for the black bread crisp you see is in a previous post.

Ingredients:

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1 cup green lentils, soaked for 30 minutes in cold water.

1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil

Garnishes:

Green onion or chives
Parsley
Feta cheese
Cherry tomatoes
Thinly sliced radishes
Arugula leaves

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Directions:

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Rinse and soak the lentils for 30 minutes in cold water.

Place in a pot, cover with 3-4 cups of fresh cold water and bring to a boil.

Lower heat and cook until lentils are cooked through but do not overcook.

Drain well and place lentils in a bowl.

Whisk together the mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper, then drizzle in the oil or place all the ingredients in a small mason jar, cover with a tight lid and shake vigorously until emulsified.

Drizzle the dressing over the lentils and mix through.

Add whatever garnishes you are using just before serving. You can toss in the arugula or serve on the side to be piled on top.

Serve with crusty bread.

Enjoy.

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