Vegetable Balsamic Lentil Salad in a Butter Lettuce Cup
servings
Ingredients
- 1 pound lentils, frozen, then steeped in boiling water
- 1/2 cup bell pepper, red; diced
- 1 1/2 cups carrot, bruniosed cut
- 1 1/2 cups tomatoes, yellow pear; halved
- 1 cup spinach, fresh
- 1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
- 2 tbsp olives, kalamata; thin sliced lengthwise
- 1-2 heads lettuce, Boston Bibb/Butter; for 6-8 cups
Dressing:
- 8 oz. balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp mustard, Dijon
- 2 tbsp green onions, minced and/or mixed into immersion blended
- 1-2 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp oregano, fresh chopped
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/2 tsp pepper, black
- 1 tsp salt, kosher
- 4 oz. olive oil
Instructions
- Follow directions on the frozen lentil package or cook 1 ¾ pounds of dry Spanish Lentils until tender and cooled to below 41 degrees or less in two hours. Stop the cooking process by spreading thin on sheet pans and into refrigerator.
- Mix all the cut peppers, carrots, tomatoes, spinach and olives with the cold lentils in a large bowl. Pour over dressing and fold into ingredients until mix is very coated. The dressing needs to merry with lentil mix for a few hours before service. Mix in the feta cheese at service. If mixed in earlier it will be a greater feta flavor.
Dressing:
- In a one-gallon container, add vinegar, mustard, chopped green onions, garlic and honey. While blending on high speed, slowly pour olive oil. Blend in bucket until emulsification occurs with immersion blender or a food processor. Add pepper and salt; stir. Can be served tossed or on the side. This flavorful, but light dressing can be stored up to 10 days in the cooler. Best if made and tossed with lentils and vegetable 24 hours and stored cover in a 41 degree of lower refrigeration. Save a small amount of the dressing to drizzle on salad when serving.
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