Marinated Lentil Salad
Gently heating the oil with lots of aromatics when making the spiced nut vinaigrette will amplify all their flavors and carry them effortlessly into the lentils once things all get tossed together. For this lentil and feta salad, seek out black or green lentils, which hold their shape well.
Ingredients
For the lentils
- Kosher salt
- 1 1/2 cups (10.5 oz) black beluga lentils or French green lentils (lentilles du Puy)
For the spiced nut vinaigrette
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 cup (4 oz) raw walnuts, almonds, or pecans, coarsely chopped
- 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1/3 cup (2 oz) golden raisins
- 1/3 cup red or white wine vinegar
- Kosher salt
- 1 1/2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
To serve
- One (4-ounce) block feta cheese, thinly sliced into large 1/4-inch thick (6-mm) planks
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
Cook the lentils
- Bring a medium saucepan filled with 2 quarts of water and 2 tablespoons of salt to a boil.
- Add the lentils, give them a good stir, and return the water to a simmer, adjusting the heat as necessary to maintain a simmer while they cook. Simmer until they are cooked through and no longer toothsome, but not mushy, 15 to 35 minutes depending on what type of lentils you have and how old they are. Taste them periodically to evaluate their doneness before draining them.
- Drain the lentils in a fine-mesh strainer and let them cool in the strainer while you prepare the vinaigrette. Reserve the saucepan.
Make the spiced nut vinaigrette
- In the reserved saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the olive oil and chopped walnuts, swirling the pan often so that they cook evenly, until golden brown, 4 to 8 minutes. (Keep an eye on them, as they can turn from toasty to burnt pretty quickly.) Remove from the heat.
- Next, add the cumin seeds and ground coriander to the saucepan and stir to combine. Using a Microplane, immediately grate the garlic cloves into the still-hot oil and stir to combine. Stir in golden raisins, vinegar, and 1 teaspoon salt.
- Add the drained lentils back to the medium saucepan with the walnut mixture and gently stir everything to combine.
- Tear the basil leaves in half, or into small pieces if large, and toss them through the lentils. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.
Serve
- Divvy the lentils among 6 serving bowls. Top each with a few feta planks and black pepper and drizzle with more olive oil.
Nutrition
Serving: 1portion | Calories: 524kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 219mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 6g