From theguardian.com
Earthy lentils welcome spring with the addition of sweet herbs, bright pickles and fresh, green crunch
"Do one thing well" is the mantra of my favourite denim company, Hiut Denim; it’s also what I need to be doing more of at the moment. As such, I’m taking a short break from this column to finish a much overdue book. Until I’m back, towards the end of the summer, here’s a little something for you. If I’ve timed it right and spring sunshine is in the air by the time you read this, I hope you’ll relish the taste of sweet herbs, bright pickles and fresh, green crunchiness. As ever, thanks for reading, cooking and letting me give you suggestions of how to fashion plants into your weekly meals. See you soon.
Quick puy lentil, celery and herb salad
This is a throw-it-all-in-a-bowl salad I like to make for lunch. You could make it quickly by using ready-cooked puy lentils and bought-in pickled onions, but it’s much more economical to make your own lentils and pickled onions, the instructions for which are given below.
Prep 10-15 min (depending on if you’re making the lentils and onions from scratch)
Cook 5-30 min (depending on if you’re making the lentils and onions from scratch)
Serves 2 with leftovers
230g uncooked puy lentils, or 500g ready-cooked lentils
½ red onion, peeled and sliced wafer-thin, or 40g shop-bought pickled and sliced red onions (drained weight)
4 tbsp red-wine vinegar
Fine sea salt
100g frozen podded edamame beans, defrosted
150g celery, trimmed and cut wafer-thin
20g mint, leaves picked
40g spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced
½ tbsp dijon mustard
6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
If you’re cooking the lentils from scratch, rinse them well, tip into a small saucepan for which you have a lid and add 460ml water. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes, until the lentils are cooked but still retain a little bite. Drain, wash under the cold tap so they stop cooking and put to one side.
Meanwhile, if you’re making your own pickled onions, put the sliced onion in a small bowl and cover with two tablespoons of red-wine vinegar and half a teaspoon of salt. Scrunch with your hands to wilt the onion, then leave to pickle for at least 10 minutes. Use 40g (drained weight) of the pickled onion for this dish; the rest will keep in the fridge for a few days for other salads or for sandwiches.
To assemble the salad, put everything in a bowl with the mustard, two tablespoons of red-wine vinegar and a teaspoon of salt, mix really well, then add more vinegar, salt or olive oil to taste. Eat straight away or pack into a lunchbox for later.
Meera Sodha’s quick puy lentil, celery and herb salad. Photograph: Louise Hagger/The Guardian. Food styling: Emily Kydd. Prop styling: Jennifer Kay. Food styling assistant: Susanna Unsworth
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