It seems as though there are people that love lentils and people that hate lentils – but no one in between. You don’t hear people say “lentils are okay” or “lentils are good, but not great”.
No – you hear “lentils are awesome!” or “lentils are gross!”.
Which one are you? I hope you’re the “lentils are awesome!” person, because if not, I’m afraid you won’t be too eager to try this recipe (but you should, because it’s SO SO good).
I found this recipe on Smitten Kitchen back in February, and put it on my to-make list, then promptly forgot about it.
Until last week when I was cleaning up the files and bookmarks on my computer and I found it again. I emailed myself the link so I wouldn’t lose the recipe for a second time, and then made it the next day for lunch.
The only thing I did differently, was that I omitted the shallots from Deb’s recipe, partly because I didn’t have any, and partly because my husband despises them. I also used less red wine vinegar and less chopped parsley. I also added a bit of onion powder to make up for the missing shallots (kind of). Otherwise, I stuck to this recipe quite close.
And I’m not gonna lie – I was skeptical. This salad has a lot going on.
But – as soon as I took my first bite, I was in love. The creaminess of the potatoes, the tangy-ness (is that a word?) of the dressing and the meatiness of the lentils – it all works so well together and makes for a very tasty and satisfying dish.
- 1 cup green lentils, uncooked
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- 1 small bay leaf
- Pinch of salt
- 1 pound small potatoes (I used russet and chopped them up, but fingerling would be nice, so would baby red or yellow potatoes)
- 1 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
- ½ tsp onion powder
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons capers, roughly chopped (if they're salted, rinse them off)
- 2 tablespoons dill pickles, roughly chopped
- ¼ cup chopped flat leaf parsley
- Rinse well, then place your lentils in a medium pot with the thyme, bay leaf, a pinch of salt and 4 cups of water.
- Simmer lentils over medium heat for 25 to 30 minutes, until firm-tender. Drain (discarding the bay leaf) and keep them warm.
- While you are cooking the lentils, cover potatoes with 1-2 inches of water in a large pot. Cook for 10-20 minutes (depending on the size of your potatoes/potato chunks), or until they can be pierced with a knife. Do not overcook.
- Drain and keep them warm.
- While the potatoes and lentils are cooking, you can prepare your dressing. This is where the magic happens! Add red wine vinegar, minced garlic, onion powder, Dijon mustard, olive oil, and salt & pepper to taste, to a small bowl. Whisk together well, then add the in capers and pickle. Mix everything together until combined.
- If using fingerling or baby potatoes, cut them into bite size pieces. Put all potatoes in a large bowl, add lentils and dressing, and mix well (but be gentle with the potatoes).
- Add more salt & pepper, if necessary.
- Serve in individual bowls, with a sprinkling of chopped parsley on top.
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