Lentil Walnut Salad
posted: Friday, September 5th, 2014Mixed with crisp vegetables and a silky walnut vinaigrette, this french lentil salad is flavorful, inexpensive, and quick to prepare. It makes a great lunch salad – or add goat cheese or salad greens, serve it slightly warm, and turn it into dinner.
ingredients (serves 10)
- 2 1/2 cups French [round, dark green] lentils
- 1 cube or 1 teaspoon of vegetable bouillon
- 3 carrots, quartered lengthwise and diced
- 3 stalks celery, diced
- ½ red onion, minced
- 3 garlic cloves, worked into a paste
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- ⅓ cup white wine vinegar
- ½ cup walnut oil
- ⅓ cup Italian parsley
- ⅔ cup walnut halves
- salt and pepper to taste
directions
Bring lentils to boil in a medium pot with 4 1/2 cups of water and vegetable bouillon. After lentils have come to a boil, lower heat and simmer until just tender, with just a slight bite. Drain off any water if necessary.
While the lentils cook, chop vegetables into a small dice, under an inch wide. Start mixing the vinaigrette ingredients in a bowl – red onion, minced garlic worked into a paste, thyme, white wine vinegar, walnut oil, and parsley.
You might decide to feed some carrot ends to your dog.
And when the lentils are tender, drain, and fold into the raw vegetables and vinaigrette. The warm lentils will slightly soften the vegetables, but they’ll keep their crunch.