Italian Lentil Salad

Name: Italian Lentil Salad
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients: 1 pound green lentils; 2 scallions, white part only, chopped; 1 cup halved seedless green grapes; 1 cup halved seedless red grapes; 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced; 1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced; 1/2 cup coarsely chopped skinned and toasted hazelnuts; 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (from 1 to 2 lemons); 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (from 2 lemons); 1/3 cup olive oil; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

December 20, 2011

Italians love lentils and cook them in lots of creative ways, including the traditional lentil and sausage dish that is served on New Year’s Day. Lentils are also very often used as the basis of a main-course salad like this one, which is a little more refined than most thanks to the sweet, juicy grapes and chopped hazelnuts. Like lentil soup, this salad develops more flavor the longer it sits, and it makes a wonderful bed for flavorful fish such as salmon. Certainly you can eat this right away, or make it ahead of time, refrigerate overnight, and serve at room temperature the next day.

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