Lentil salad with goat cheese, roasted peppers, & pickled onions
A delightfully flavored salad that can be either a vegetarian main dish or a healthy side
Servings: 4
Ingredients
Pickled onions:
- 1 small red onion very thinly sliced
- 60 ml boiling water (¼ cup)
- 60 ml red wine vinegar (¼ cup)
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp sugar
- ½ tsp whole black peppercorns
Lentil salad:
- 250 g green lentils such as Puy lentils, rinsed (1 1/3 cup)
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1 roasted red or yellow bell pepper chopped
- ½ tsp salt or to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- 80 ml finely chopped fresh parsley (⅓ cup)
- 3 tbsp chopped chives
- 1 tsp dried dill
- 100 g fresh goat cheese (3.5 oz)
Instructions
- Pickle the onions. Put the very thinly sliced onion in a bowl and pour over the boiling water, then the red wine vinegar. Stir in 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp sugar, and ½ tsp whole peppercorns. Make sure the onions are covered by the liquid and let stand at least 15 minutes. The onions and juice will turn pink as the onions become pickled.
- Prepare the lentils. Boil some water in a medium pot and add the lentils. The water should cover the lentils by about 3 cm (over an inch). Cook the lentils for 20-30 minutes or until just tender. Drain and place in a large mixing bowl.
- Assemble the dish. While the lentils are still hot, add 3 tbsp olive oil, the minced garlic clove, the chopped roasted red pepper, ½ tsp salt (or to taste), and ground black pepper. After the lentils cool down a little more, you can stir in the herbs. Add the goat cheese in small chunks or crumbles and stir gently to keep the pieces mostly intact. Top with some slices of pickled onion.