Cold Lentil Salad

[ecowper]

Overview

I get my beans, as always, from Rancho Gordo. However, you can use any decent package of Lentils. Make sure you are using brown or green "French style" lentils not any of the colored lentils (red, etc) or black caviar lentils. You want these lentils to be cooked through, but not yet soft. They need a good bite to them to make the salad. If you cook until soft, they will turn to mush in the salad dressing. And you will think I’m crazy to think these are any good.



This is great to serve with any sort of grilled dinner …. Steak, salmon, brats, burgers.

Takes How Long?
Prep, chop, and gather: 10 minutes
Cook lentils: 25 minutes
Chill lentils: 2 hours
Put salad together: 5 minutes

Ingredients

For beans:

• 1 cup green or brown lentils
• 3 cups water
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 stalk celery
• 1 carrot
• 1 small onion
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 5-6 fresh sage leaves
• 1 fresh sprig rosemary
• 3-4 fresh basil leaves

For salad:

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
• 1 bell pepper
• 1 carrot
• 1 stalk celery

Method

1. For the beans, roughly chop the carrot and celery, don’t peel or remove celery leaves. Cut onion in quarters, cut garlic in half. Tie the herbs into a cheese cloth pouch. PUt it all in a 2 quart sauce pan, add lentils and water.
2. Bring lentils to a boil then immediately reduce to a good simmer with a lid on partially cracked open. SImmer like this for approximately 20 minutes. When the beans are still firm and just beginning to get soft, remove from heat and drain water. Remove all the veggies, put in a bowl in the fridge to chill.
3. Finely dice the bell pepper, carrot and celery.
4. Add olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, and herbs to the vegetables and stir together well.
5. Add chilled lentils

You can serve immediately or you can hold in the fridge for hours or overnight. Flavors will mingle better, the longer the salad waits.

Lentils ready to cook


Finished lentils


Vegetables all diced up


Veggies and dressing and lentils. Lentils have chilled and are ready to go in the salad.


And here’s the salad ….. I’m grilling brats and burgers this afternoon.

[Mr. Bones]

Looks an sounds DeLish, Brother! Purty big fan of things of a legume nature, an Rancho Gordo, specifically!
Enjoy yer brats!

[ecowper]

It’s my father-in-law’s 87th bday …. He asked for burgers and brats, he gets burgers and brats!

This thing is so easy to make. And people will think you are snooty with a fancy lentil salad :-)