I’ve made this Lentil Salad countless times over the past ten years. A friend of mine shared this with me – it was originally published in her daughter’s food blog, but that version was quite different. It included bacon AND a ham hock. Both good, but I prefer this lighter version. The red wine vinegar and Dijon make the flavors pop, but the generous seasoning of salt an pepper make a difference as well. Ron can’t eat legumes, so when I make this I’m eating it for days. It’s wonderful with slices of apple and hunks of sourdough. It’s great even for breakfast with a poached egg on top!
Lentil Salad
Ingredients
Lentils
- 1 T olive oil
- 1 pound lentils
- 2 teaspoons thyme
- 6 cups water
- 1 ham steak
Dressing
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- ½ chopped red onion
- 2 stalks celery
- chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Mise en place – Dice the ham into ½-inch (or smaller) cubes. Peel, and finely dice the red onion. Wash, trim and chop the celery. Mince the parsley, enough to yield ½ cup.
- Cook the lentils and toss with the ham – Sauté the diced onion until very tender. Add 2 t thyme and the lentils, and stir to coat. Add 6 cups water and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until lentils are tender, about 30 minutes. Drain lentils. Toss the diced ham with the drained lentils.
- Make the dressing – Whisk ½ cup oil, ¼ cup red wine vinegar, and 3 T Dijon mustard in a small bowl to emulsify.
- Dress the lentils and serve – Pour the dressing over the lentils and ham. Fold in the red onion, celery, and parsley. Season generously with salt and pepper and serve at room temperature.
INGREDIENT NOTE: French green lentils are preferable because they’re small and they retain their bite, but brown lentils are good too. The green lentils are higher in protein, and the brown lentils are higher in fiber (so I’m told), but they both work in this salad. I wouldn’t use red lentils because they tend to fall apart as you cook them, and you do want the body that the green or brown lentils bring. And don’t dice the celery too small – you want the fresh crunch to contrast the earthiness of the lentils. It’s perfect. Trust me – if you make this salad once, you’ll make it over and over again.
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