Lentil And Herb Salad With Roasted Peppers And Feta Recipes

MEDITERRANEAN STYLE ROASTED RED PEPPER AND LENTIL SALAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Toss red pepper halves with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Place them on a baking sheet and roast until the peppers are very soft and crisp at the edges, about 20 minutes. Allow peppers to cool, then dice into 1/4-inch cubes. Set aside in a large mixing bowl.
• Combine lentils and cold water in a saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, add a pinch of salt, and simmer, covered, until the lentils are just tender to the bite, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat, drain, and cool. Transfer cooled lentils to the mixing bowl.
• Gently mix in the onion, celery, carrots, and parsley. Add 1/2 teaspoon sea salt and freshly ground pepper.
• Combine the Dijon mustard, chopped shallots, 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, lemon juice, white wine vinegar, and balsamic vinegar in a blender. Blend on High for 10 seconds. Gradually add olive oil and blend again until the dressing is fully emulsified and smooth. Pour 1/2 cup dressing over lentils and stir gently with a wooden spoon. Taste the salad and add remaining dressing if desired.

ROASTED PEPPER, FETA AND LENTIL SALAD

Steps:

• Place lentils in a large saucepan and pour in water. Set pan over high heat and bring water to a boil. Reduce heat, partially cover and simmer until lentils are tender, about 30 minutes.
• Drain lentils and transfer to a large bowl. Add vinegar and oil; toss to combine. Add peppers and basil; toss to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Spoon into 4 shallow bowls; top each with 1 tablespoon of feta. Serve warm or chilled. Yields about 3/4 cup per serving.

LENTIL AND ROAST PEPPER SALAD WITH VEGAN FETA

Steps:

• Combine olive oil and balsamic vinegar together in a bowl, whisk them both well to obtain a viscous emulsion.
• Season to your taste.
• Rinse the lentils, place them in a medium pot with bay leaves and kombu (if using). Don't add salt as it will make your lentils tough. If using kombu, be sure to remove it after about 10 minutes as it will eventually become slimy and fall apart and stick to the lentils.
• Bring the lentils to a simmer. Simmer, on a low heat, for about 20-25 minutes - keep an eye on the lentils towards the end of the cooking time to make sure they do not overcook. Test one to be sure they are done to your liking, drain and set aside to cool.
• Heat up a griddle pan on a low-medium heat. Brush the peppers with a little oil and place them on the hot pan. Grill for a few minutes on each side until nicely charred, take off the heat and place on a plate covering with a big, upside down, bowl - it will make skin removal easier. If you don't have a griddle pan you can roast your peppers under an oven grill instead.
• Toast the walnuts on a dry frying pan, tossing them now and then so that they do not burn. They are ready when lightly charred and fragrant. Set aside to cool and chop roughly.
• Remove the skins from the peppers, deseed them and slice them diagonally across.
• Combine cooled lentils, with finely diced onion, most of the parsley and thyme - leave some for decoration. Dress with some of the prepared dressing, adjust seasoning to taste. Scatter on a platter with salad leaves and roasted peppers. Decorate with chunks of feta and roasted walnuts. Drizzle with the remaining dressing and scatter with leftover herbs.
• Place the lemon juice, garlic, plant milk, a good pinch of salt and rinsed almonds in an blender (Ninja blender works well here).
• Blend until smooth, using a spatula to return the mixture that stays on the walls of your blender back to the centre. The mixture will eventually get really thick and the blender will struggle. I have a little trick to combat this, but please be very careful as it requires you to have the lid off while the blender is running. I slide my spatula flat against the wall of the blender and ever so slightly push the mixture into the centre, which sort of feeds it back into the blades again and prevents an air bubble from forming underneath the surface. I keep on doing that while the mixture is blending, being extra careful that I go nowhere near the blades. This technique allows me to get the mixture super smooth and creamy, but use it at your own discretion.
• Taste and adjust the amount of salt and lemon juice to taste. Add miso and nutritional yeast at this point if using. Don't worry if the mixture tastes quite strong at this point, it will mellow out during the next two stages of preparation.
• Prepare / activate agar in 3 tbsp of water, according to the instructions on the packet. Add the resulting gel to the 'cheese' mixture quickly and blend until smooth. Alternatively, if you don't have agar agar, allow the mixture to drain and then bake it as in this recipe.
• Transfer your mixture to a cheesecloth-lined container (I used this tofu press for this) and place in the fridge overnight to set.

ROASTED PEPPER SALAD WITH FETA, PINE NUTS & BASIL

Steps:

• Set an oven rack in the top position and preheat the broiler. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place the pepper halves on the prepared baking sheet and broil for 5-10 minutes, rotating the pan once, until well charred. Remove the peppers from the oven and place in a bowl; cover tightly with plastic wrap (so they steam) and let cool until luke warm.
• Peel the skin from the peppers (do not rinse under water) and cut into ¾-inch strips. Place back in the bowl; add the olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, 2 tablespoons of the basil, oregano, sugar, salt and pepper. Refrigerate for at least one hour or overnight.
• Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add the pine nuts and cook, stirring frequently, until golden, about 4 minutes. Immediately transfer the nuts to a small bowl to stop the cooking process. (Pay close attention: they go from perfectly golden to burnt quickly.)
• Transfer the marinated peppers to a serving dish and top with the feta, olives, toasted pine nuts and remaining tablespoon basil (do not toss). Garnish with whole basil leaves if desired.

OTTOLENGHI'S LENTIL SALAD WITH HERBS

Steps:

• In a small bowl toss sliced onion with vinegar and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Set aside while you cook the lentils. (soaking will soften the onions and mellow their flavor)
• Bring 6 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the lentils, reduce heat to a simmer and cook, partially covered, for 18-22 minutes or until lentils are cooked but not mushy. Check for doneness starting at 18 minutes. Drain and transfer lentils to a large bowl. While lentils are hot, toss with the olive oil (4 tablespoons), onions with their vinegar, garlic, 1 teaspoon of salt and black pepper, to taste. Stir and season with additional salt, if needed. (Salad can be made ahead to this point. See notes, below)
• Allow lentils to cool to room temperature and toss with herbs and feta. Serve at room temperature.

LENTIL AND HERB SALAD WITH ROASTED PEPPERS AND FETA

Steps:

• In a medium size pot, combine lentils, water, onion, bay leaf and 2 of the garlic cloves. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Add salt to taste, cover, reduce heat to low and simmer 25 minutes, until lentils are cooked through but still have some texture. They should not be mushy. Taste and adjust salt. Using tongs, remove onion and bay leaf.
• Meanwhile, in a small bowl or measuring cup, mix together vinegar, remaining garlic, salt to taste, and olive oil. Set aside.
• Place a strainer over a bowl and carefully drain lentils. Transfer lentils to a bowl. Measure out 1/4 cup of the broth and whisk it into the dressing, then toss dressing with the lentils. Stir in roasted pepper strips and allow to cool if desired. Taste and adjust salt. Shortly before serving stir in fresh herbs, pepper, and feta.