Lentil Salad À La Heldenküche

© heldenküche

It is a flexible recipe and combines ingredients I love.

Ingredients

Pulses

• Lentils 120 g (dry)
• A pot of water with 2 bay leaves, 2 shallots, and a pinch of salt.

Vegetables: 400 g in total

• cherry tomatoes
• beets (boiled)
• bell pepper
• cucumber
• red onion
• carrot

Dressing

• herbs (20 g in total): shiso leaf (Japanese basil) and parsley
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp flaxseed oil
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1⁄2 tsp sugar
• 1⁄2 tsp dijon mustard
• Salt & black papper

Instructions

1. Make a nice atmosphere: a drink, something to snack, music, invite friends… so that you can enjoy the cooking process.
2. Start by washing your lentils: put them into your pot and cover them with water. Take out any floating parts and stones.
3. Remove the washing water and give enough fresh water into your pot so that the lentils can double their size. Add salt and bring the water to a boil. Try your cooking water: it should be nicely salted.
4. Let the lentils cook with your lid on on low heat until they are soft. Pour out the water. Never let your pulses be al dente. Your belly will be thankful 🙂
5. Cut your veggies. Heat up your pan with oil and start to roast your onions. Once the onions are a little brownish add your other vegetables and roast them until you like the color. Give in salt and spices and stir in your veggie-mixture. Enjoy the beautiful smell. Try your veggies: are they rich in taste? If not, add more salt and/or spices.
6. Let the vegetables cool down

Concept dressing = 2 units oil + 1 unit sour + sweet + salt + emulsifier

1. An emulsifier combines the oil and the sour liquid. Examples: mustard and honey.
2. Use your small bowl and whisk or a glass with a lid. Put in all the ingredients for the dressing and stir or shake until you have a homogenous mixture. Food prep tipp: make more dressing and store it in your fridge.
3. Cut your herbs. Save some uncut herbs for decoration.
4. Magic moment: combine lentils, vegetables, dressing and herbs. If your salad is too dry add some liquid like oil and lemon juice.
5. Additional ideas to go with the salad: nuts and seeds, halloumi fresh from the barbecue grill, fermented vegetables… See cooking as a creative process. Mix and match ingredients according to your region, the saison and your taste.
6. Serve your food with lots of love 🙂

Guten Appetit
Bon Appétit
Smaklig måltid

More information

I am Claudia Friedrich and I developed a passion for cooking with fresh, delicious, varied, seasonal and regional food. I created the social enterprise heldenküche 8 years ago, which is based in Leipzig, Germany. I live out my enthusiasm in my daily work at markets, in cooking courses and at catering events. My cooking philosophy? Creating a pleasant atmosphere when the food not only tastes good but also tells a story and conjures up a lasting memory. I joined the Global Bean partners network in March 2022.

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