Roasted Pepper Lentil Lemon Salad

Red bell peppers are roasted sweet and soft before they are tossed with French lentils, carrots, onion and celery. This bright, refreshing salad dresses the medley of lentils and veggies with tart Dijon lemon vinaigrette.

This recipe comes to us from Pooja of Pooja’s Way.

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Serves 6

Ingredients:

For the lemon vinaigrette:

• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 small garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 5 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 1/2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

For the Roasted Pepper Lentil Salad:

• 1 1/2 large red bell peppers, halved, seeds & pith removed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup French green or puy lentils, rinsed & picked over
• 3 cups cold water
• 1 small onion, diced 1/4 inch
• 2 celery stalks, diced 1/4 inch
• 2 carrots, diced 1/4 inch
• 1/4 cup parsley, chopped
• salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

To make the lemon vinaigrette:

Place the mustard, garlic, salt, lemon juice, white wine vinegar and balsamic vinegar together in a food processor or blender. Blend on high for 10 seconds. If using a food processor, slowly pour the olive oil in through the top while the processor is running. If using a blender, remove the top and add the olive oil in parts, while blending in between additions. Taste for seasoning, adjust if desired, transfer to a bowl and refridgerate.

To complete the Roasted Pepper Lentil Lemon Salad:

Preheat an oven to 400 degrees.

Place the bell pepper halves in a baking dish. Toss with the olive oil and roast for about 20 minutes, or until the bell pepper is soft and crisp around the edges. Set aside to let cool.

Place the lentils and cold water into a medium sized pot over high heat. Bring to a boil, add salt, reduce heat to low and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the lentils are al dente. Remove from heat, drain and set aside in a mixing bowl to cool.

When the roasted peppers have cooled, dice 1/4 inch and transfer to a large mixing bowl. When the cooked lentils have cooled add them to the mixing bowl with the lentils.

Add the diced carrots, celery, onion and parsley to the lentil pepper mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste and toss, taking care to ensure all the salad’s ingredients are evenly distributed.

Dress the salad with the reserved lemon vinaigrette to taste, divide into 6 portions and enjoy!