Today's vegetable recipe: A hearty lentil salad that's so packed with vegetables it might even be called the 'Great Big Vegetable Salad with a Few Lentils Thrown In Just for Fun'. Great crunch. No mayonnaise so perfect for picnics and outdoor meals. Low carb. Weight Watchers 1 point.
As happens on the first day the air conditioning gets turned on, it was just too hot to cook. So I scrapped the suddenly wintry-sounding supper plan and turned instead to a summery lentil salad. The inspiring recipe is one I've had my eye on during a three-year love affair with French Food at Home by Laura Calder, a seasonal, accessible and adaptable cookbook.My version of Summer Lentils is both lightened and "vegged up" -- I just kept chopping vegetables until the lentils were done! With lots of crunch and flavor, it makes for a satisfying meatless entree. But it makes a good side salad, too - at home but also at potlucks and outdoor celebrations since it has no mayonnaise.
Better yet, it's definitely a 'concept recipe' -- use the vegetables you happen to have on hand.
SUMMER LENTILS
Hands-on time: 40 minutes
Time to table: 1 hour, 40 minutes
Makes 6 cups
Time to table: 1 hour, 40 minutes
Makes 6 cups
LENTILS
1 cup 'meaty' lentils such as French green lentils (lentilles du Puy) or black lentils (see Kitchen Notes)
1 1/2 cups unsalted water
DRESSING
4 tablespoons good vinegar, balsamic or red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons good mustard
2 tablespoons olive oil
Generous salt & pepper
VEGGIES
2 shallots, minced (or chopped onion or chopped green onion)
2 carrots, diced (or grated for less crunch, my preference)
1 bell pepper, diced (try yellow or green for color contrast)
8 ounces grape tomatoes, halved or quartered
3 ribs celery, diced
8 ounces radishes, sliced thin and quartered
2 ounces drained capers
Chopped chive or fresh basil or fresh dill
4 ounces crumbled feta, optional but especially good if using as an entree
LENTILS Rinse the lentils. Place lentils and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover and let simmer til cooked. Drain if needed and return to the hot pan.
DRESSING Mix the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Stir into the hot lentils.
VEGGIES Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables and collect in a large bowl. Stir in the lentils and cool to room temperature for an hour or so. Just before serving, stir in the feta.
KITCHEN NOTES
This recipe was originally published in 2006 and is republished in 2009 with new photos and notes. When first published, the recipe won first prize in a lentil recipe contest from a blog called Something in Season that sadly no longer exists. When I remade the salad for a Memorial Day picnic, I fell in love with the salad all over again, it's a real winner. I love the meaty black lentils from Trader Joe's, they're less expensive than the French lentils. UPDATE: A reader reported being unable to find black lentils at Trader Joe's. When I checked, no luck here in St. Louis either. The store manager said that black lentils are shown as a "future" item - this may mean that they're seasonal, only sold in the winter. If so, stock up! Organic puy de lentilles are selling in the bulk aisle at Whole Foods right now for $3 a pound. I've never used the softer brown lentils or red lentils in this salad, they would work fine but the texture would be different. MORE HEARTY SALADS from the ARCHIVES
~ Fresh Three-Bean Salad ~
~ Chipotle Chickpea Salad ~
~ Julia Child's Lentil Salad ~
~ more recipes with beans, lentils & other legumes ~
from A Veggie Venture
~ Quinoa & Black Bean Salad ~
~ Wild Rice Salad ~
~ New-Fashioned Sauerkraut Salad ~
~ more salad recipes ~
from Kitchen Parade
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© Copyright Kitchen Parade 2006 5/31/06
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Your Comments:
That lentil salad looks incredible. So refreshing! Thank you for sharing.
I am always looking for lentil ideas, I just love everything about them.
This salad looks beautiful!!
As for cooked lentils, lentils double while cooking so a couple of cups should do it. But really, add as many as feels right. You might also let the lentils soak in that vinaigrette for awhile, as they really soak it up when they're combined when the lentils are hot. I might even feel tempted to warm the vinaigrette, I think it 'might' have the same effect.
Good luck!
~Lolly
Sally
Thank You
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