One time my sister was trying to find a good salad recipe to take to church. We were on a lentil kick at that point, and I found this recipe from Emeril Lagasse. It gets 5 stars on Emeril’s page, and I totally agree. It is sooooo good. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. It takes a little bit of time, but it hits the spot! The flavors blend perfectly.
I make a few substitutions depending on what I have on hand. I usually use a bag of romaine, a generous amount of balsamic vinegar, feta cheese, and I mix up my own Essence using a recipe like this. Feel free to leave the bacon and feta out for a healthier option.
Ingredients:
8 ounces French green lentils
3 whole garlic cloves, smashed
2 bay leaves
1 sprig fresh thyme
1/2 pound thick-cut bacon, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick strips
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
2 tablespoons minced shallots
1 teaspoon minced garlic
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
7 teaspoons red wine vinegar
2 plum tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
1 teaspoon Essence
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 cups frisee
3 cups arugula
4 ounces crumbled goat cheese
Directions:
In a medium saucepan, combine the lentils, garlic, bay leaves, and thyme. Cover with water by 1 inch, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until just tender yet still firm, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and discard the garlic, bay leaves, and thyme. Place the lentils in a large bowl and set aside.
In a skillet, cook the bacon over medium-high heat until crisp. Transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels, leaving 3 tablespoons of fat in the pan. Add the carrots, celery, shallots and garlic, and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the vegetables to the bowl with the lentils. Add 3 tablespoons of the olive oil, and 4 teaspoons of the vinegar, tomatoes, parsley, Essence, salt and pepper, and toss to mix well.
In a separate bowl, combine the frisee, arugula and bacon. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 3 teaspoons of red wine vinegar and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Toss the dressing with the greens and divide among 4 plates. Top with the lentil salad and the goat cheese. Serve.
Do you have any lentil recipes? I’d love to add to my lentil repertoire. c-:
Don’t forget to link to your recipes/kitchen tips below!
This post is linked to:
Tasty Tuesday
Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
Sounds really good, but what the heck is Essence? I’ve never heard of it.
[Reply]
Frugal Femina Reply:
June 29th, 2010 at 8:46 pm
Hey, Cindy,
It’s Emeril’s Essence–a spice blend he made up. I never seem to have any, so I just use the copycat recipe.
[Reply]