This salad has a medley of flavors that combine well on the plate, from the earthy lentils to the sweet apricots to the briny olives.
Yield: 4 servings
Active Time: 40 minutes Start to Finish: 50 minutes
For this recipe you’ll need:
1 cup French green lentils
1 bouquet garni (see note, below)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 red onion, small dice
2 carrots, peeled and cut into small dice
1 teaspoon ginger, freshly grated
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon smoky paprika
1/4 cup dried apricots, thinly sliced
1/4 cup green olives, pitted and quartered lengthwise
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh mint, rough chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
To cook the lentils, place them in a saucepan and cover by about 2 inches of water. Add the herb bundle and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook the lentils until they are tender, about 25 minutes, adding more water if necessary. Drain, remove the herb bundle, and set aside.
When the lentils are almost done, start cooking the vegetables. Heat a sauté pan over medium heat and add the olive oil. Sauté the onions and carrots, tossing occasionally, until they are lightly caramelized.
Add the ginger, garlic, cumin and smoky paprika, and gently sauté until aromatic, about 1 minute. Add a splash of water to deglaze the pan.
Fold in the cooked lentils, apricots and olives. Cook until just heated through. Fold in the lemon zest and mint, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm or room temperature.
Note: A bouquet garni is an herb bundle that simmers in a soup or sauce to impart its aroma to the dish. It is then removed before eating. Make a bouquet garni by bundling 3 bay leaves, 3 sprigs of fresh parsley and 1 sprig of fresh thyme and securing them with kitchen twine.
