Also called Puy lentils as they come from Le Puy in France. You can use whatever salad greens you prefer to make this tasty and colorful salad and the little green lentils are so beautiful and full of flavor. You can use the dried lentils as I have here or for a very quick version you can buy the canned or tinned green lentils and use those instead. Canned are just as good and half the time but you won't get the flavor of the cooking stock!
The ingredients for the salad leaves are just for a guide. You can choose your own favorites or what you have seasonally, what is available locally or whatever is left in your refrigerator!
In this recipe I have chosen dried lentils which are cooked by boiling alone first for five minutes. During those five minutes the vegetables can be started by peeling the onion, carrot, and shallot. Take the whole, peeled onion and stick the cloves into it securely. Really! Wash the celery and chop it up, along with the carrot, and shallot, which needs to be finely minced.
Ingredients:
- 1 lb (450g) dried green lentils (or ready cooked in a can/tin)
- 1 small onion
- 1 small carrot
- 2 cloves
- Bouquet garni (A bouquet garni is a bunch of herbs tied together and added to casseroles, stocks, sauces or soups. It can be made up of any herbs which the cook wants to use to flavor a dish, although traditionally it is a combination of parsley (or parsley stalks, which have lots of flavour), a few sprigs of thyme and a bay leaf.)
- 1 stalk celery
- Vinaigrette dressingto which you add 1 tablespoon freshly chopped herbs such as parsley and 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard to make Vinaigrette à la moutarde!
- Black pepper
- 1 finely chopped shallot
Instructions:
- If using dried lentils, rinse them in cold water, then cover with fresh water, bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Drain them and put them back in the pan together with the onion (now stuck with the clove – just stick it into the onion!), the carrot cut in small chunks, the celery, garlic, black pepper, and bouquet garni.
- Cover with boiling water and simmer for half an hour or until they are tender.
- Drain immediately and discard the bouquet garni, onion, celery, and carrot pieces.
- Mix your vinaigrette dressing, mixed with Dijon mustard into the warm lentils, and add the chopped herbs and finely chopped shallot.
- Serve with fresh vegetables on the side, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, and greens.
- Savourer!
Salade de Poulet aux Amandes
