Best Lentil Salad
Best Lentil Salad
The Best Lentil Salad, Ever!
Serves 4
Here is a GUEST RECIPE for a wonderful vegetarian salad, which we found in My New Roots, which is a meal in itself or a great accompaniment to other dishes like the Beetroot & Feta Burgers.
Ingredients:
1 ½ cups Du Puy lentils
1 medium red onion, diced or finey sliced
1 cup dried currants (you could also use raisins or other dried fruit, I use mixed dried fruit)
Vinaigrette:
1/3 cup cold pressed, extra virgin olive oil
¼ ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp. maple syrup
1 Tbsp. strong mustard
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. pepper
½ tsp. ground cumin (optional)
½ tsp. turmeric
½ tsp. ground coriander
½ tsp ground cardamom
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
¼ tsp. ground cloves
¼ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
Optional add-ins:
Arugula (bunch of rocket)
Walnuts (handful)
Goat cheese (generous chunk, crumbled)
Fresh herbs: flat-leaf parsley, cilantro, basil
Sprouts
AND THIS IS WHAT YOU DO.....
1. Rinse lentils well, drain. Place in a pot and cover with a 3-4 inches of water, bring to a boil, reduce to simmer. Check lentils for doneness after 10 - 15 minutes, but they should take about 20 minutes in total. You will know they are cooked if they still retain a slight tooth – al dente! Overcooking the lentils is the death of this dish. Be careful!
2. While the lentils are simmering, make the dressing by placing all ingredients in a jar with a tight fitting lid and shake vigorously to combine.
3. Finely dice red onion – the salad is best if all the ingredients are about the same size. If using raisins, chop them roughly to make them a bit smaller, and do the same with the capers if they are large.
4. When the lentils are cooked, remove from heat, drain and place under cold running water to stop the cooking process. Once cooled slightly but still a little warm, place lentils in a large serving bowl and toss with dressing. Add other onion, capers, and currants. If using other add-ins such as herbs, greens, or cheese, wait until just before serving. Otherwise, this salad can hang out in the fridge for a couple days.