Lentil Salad with Hazelnuts and Feta
In honor of the week before the publication of our newest book, REAL FOOD HAS CURVES, a seven-step plan to get off processed food, I thought I'd show off some of the great salads Bruce makes for lunches almost every week. These are all make-aheads. (Around here, that means he tosses them together on Sunday afternoons.) They stay in the fridge most of the week, a great supply of real food.
And he always makes more than one. Because he and I like to have several options. And because variety increases satiety. We eat less because we eat more things. I want a spoonful of two or three on my plate for lunch.
By the way, eating less by eating more things is one of the big messages of the new book, wrapped up in this pledge: "try something new every week." But more on that later.
For now, here's a hearty lentil mix that's big on flavor and satisfaction. And 100% real food!
First, pour 1 1/2 cups green or brown lentils into a large saucepan; then fill it with cool water until the water stands a couple inches over the lentils. Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat and cook the lentils at a boil until tender, about 20 minutes.
There's a lot written about picking over lentils for shards of stone and small pebbles. If you're buying in bulk from Middle Eastern or East Indian markets, perhaps you need to. But probably not if you're buying packaged lentils at a higher-end supermarket.
What's a lentil? It's a pulse: the seed from a type of annual legume plant. The seeds come in ten to twelve per pod. They're dried for long storage, a staple in many parts of the world. And no wonder. They're high in fiber, folate, and vitamin B1. In fact, on-going research indicates that the type of fiber in lentils is cholesterol-lowering. Lentils are also one of the best sources of iron of any vegetable matter.
Once they're tender, drain them in a colander set in the sink, then put them in a large bowl.
Dice 5 small celery ribs. How? First, cut them into three or four strips lengthwise, then gather these together like sticks and cut them into thin slices. The thinner, the better. You don't want one hunk of celery to eat up all the space on a spoon. Add the sliced celery to the bowl.
Dice a small shallot and add it as well.
Then add about 1/4 cup chopped, toasted, and skinned hazelnuts.
Here's how to get that done. Place the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and toast them in a preheated 325F oven for about 8 minutes, tossing occasionally. Cool a few minutes on the sheet, then pour them into a large, clean kitchen towel. Gather the towel together, closing the nuts inside; then rub them together, thereby taking the skin off by abrading them against each other and the towel. As you can see from the photo, you won't get all the papery skin off. Do the best you can. Then chop those hazelnuts into bits about the size of the lentils and add them to the bowl.
Stir in 2 ounces diced, aged feta--preferably a rather hard feta that can be cut into little bits. If you can't find aged feta, try Gouda or another aged cheese.
Finally, add the following to the bowl: 3 tablespoons lemon juice, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon dried dill (or 2 teaspoons minced fresh dill), 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, and a few dashes of a hot red pepper sauce, like Tabasco sauce.
Stir it up and the salad's ready. Store it, covered, in the fridge for up to 4 days--or just dig in. It's real food all the way. 
hazelnuts, lentil salad, lentils, real food, real food has curves
Reader Comments (5)
We adore lentils and use them a lot in our cooking, but never as a salad! Thanks for shedding a new light on our old fave.. :)
There are few things I like better than a make-ahead salad that can be nibbled on all week long (well most of it). Have just pre-ordered your new book and can't wait for it to arrive. Thanks for the yummy-looking salad recipe.
I'm with that. I love these make-ahead salads I can eat all week in varying amounts and permutations: a little of this one today, more of that one tomorrow. It makes me feel very comforted and "at home."
M.
This was fabulous. I made it today to give my husband variety with his lunches. It was a hit and even my 2 year old enjoyed it. We'll be making this often at our home. Thank you for introducing me to lentils and a new way to make them.
Dawn: You are most welcome! I'm so glad it was a hit. And a two-year-old eating lentils?!? You are a supermom, to be sure!
Check out the other salads on this blog. The quinoa/cabbage one seems to be a hit. But I really like the quinoa tabbouleh.
M.