Photo: Kelly Rossiter/CC BY 2.0
We seemed to have settled into a more seasonal weather pattern now, but for a while there it was feeling pretty summery. I had started thinking about things to be served at room temperature or just warmed, and came up with this recipe for lentil salad. I was happy because I had everything included in the list of ingredients, so making it wouldn’t require a trip to the store. Then I discovered that I had actually used all of the carrots I had, thinking there was still another bunch there. I did have a red pepper, though, so I roasted that instead.
You could use any roasted vegetable you like in this recipe, and it would still be delicious. Roasted cauliflower, broccoli, red peppers, kale, even little new potatoes would all work perfectly well. If you are lucky enough to have asparagus now, use that. This makes a lot, so it would be a great dish for a casual brunch or light dinner with friends, or if you are making it for two people, you could cut the recipe in half.
This recipe is from Rustic Italian by Domenica Marchetti.
Lentil Salad with Lemon-Rosemary Vinaigrette
For the vinaigrette
Juice of 2 lemons (about 1/4 cup)
1 tbsp fresh minced rosemary
Fine sea salt
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
For the lentils
3 cups coarsely chopped carrots
2 shallots, cut lengthwise into thin wedges
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups small brown lentils, or French green Puy lentils
1 bay leaf
1 clove garlic, crushed flat but left whole
1. To make the vinaigrette, in a bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, rosemary, and 1 teaspoon salt. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, whisking constantly until emulsified. Let stand at room temperature while you make the salad.
2. Preheat the oven to 425F. Add the carrots and shallots to a baking dish and drizzle with the olive oil, and toss to coat. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and a grinding of pepper. Spread out into a single layer. Roast until browned in spots and tender but not mushy, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and tent loosely with aluminum foil to keep warm.
3. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, combine the lentils, bay leaf, garlic, and 4 cups of water and bring to a boil over a medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook at a gentle simmer until the lentils are almost tender, but still slightly undercooked, 12-15 minutes. Stir in 3/4 teaspoon salt, recover and cook until the lentils are tender but still hold their shape, about 10 minutes longer. Drain the lentils in a colander placed in the sink. Discard the bay leaf and the garlic.
4. Transfer lentils to a large salad bowl and add the carrots and shallots. Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and toss gently to combine. Serve warm.
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