Not only is my mother a terrific cook, but she’s also surrounded by friends who love eating and cooking great food! Her classmate Malvina from Elementary School of some decades ago, called her the other day to share her new lentil salad. It didn’t take long for my mother to prepare it, nor for the recipe to reach me on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean via Skype. I made it for lunch today and just had the first bite and couldn’t wait to share it with you! That’s how fast delicious recipes travel nowadays!
Try it for yourself, pass it on, but please, take this piece of advice: the quantity of the onions looks like way, way too much, but it is in fact just right. So please, don’t cut down on the onions but feel free to add as much arugula and herbs as you wish.
This salad is perfect year round and is packed with stuff that is good for us, so it’s going to be a keeper!
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup brown dried lentils (250 g)
- 4-5 large white onions
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- ½ cup chopped parsley
- 1 cup chopped arugula
- 3 tablespoons chopped dill
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, preferably heirloom, cut in half
- 5 tablespoons olive oil
- Balsamic vinegar
- salt & pepper
PREPARATION
- Slice the onions.
- In a large non-stick skillet, heat the oil. Add the onions, the brown sugar and cook the onions on medium heat, stirring frequently for about 45 minutes, or until they are soft and have a brownish color. Season with salt and pepper.
- In the meantime, boil water in a medium pot.
- Clean and rinse the lentils and cook them in the boiling water for about 20-30 minutes, until just soft, but not overcooked. Drain.
- When the lentils and the onions have cooled, combine with all the rest of the ingredients.
No need for additional oil since the onions are already nicely coated from being caramelized. You can make small batches at a time by keeping all the ingredients separately and chopping the arugula and the herbs just before combining with the lentils and the onions.
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Bravo!
Thank you!!