Puy lentil salad

Another great recipe from our cook book to keep you busy over the bank holiday weekend, perfect for a bank holiday Sunday BBQ (weather permitting).  Enjoy!

PUY LENTIL SALAD
WITH ROASTED VEGETABLES

Yes, yes, we know, lentil salad may seem a bit clichéd, but this
is so tangy and moreish we couldn’t possibly think of leaving
it out. It’s great either warm or cold and, if you don’t mind a
bit of dairy, works brilliantly with goats’ cheese too. You can
substitute anything you like for the vegetables here – just
try to stick to veggies that will hold their shape when mixed
together with the lentils.


SERVES 6 –8 AS A STARTER

200g (7oz) Puy lentils
1 red onion, very finely diced
80ml (3fl oz) olive oil
80ml (3fl oz) balsamic vinegar
1 red chilli, trimmed and chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons tomato purée
1 tablespoon fennel seeds, toasted and lightly crushed
1 bunch of flat leaf parsley leaves
75g (3oz) baby spinach leaves, red chard leaves or bull’s blood leaves
salt

For the roasted vegetables
olive oil
300g (10oz) pumpkin or butternut squash, peeled and cut into 2cm (1-inch) thick wedges
1/2 fennel bulb, trimmed and cut into 1cm (1/2-inch) thick wedges
150g (5oz) cherry tomatoes
1 courgette, cut into 1cm (1/2-inch) thick wedges
2 red or yellow peppers, cored, deseeded and cut into 1-cm-(1/2-inch) thick wedges

Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/Gas Mark 6.
Bring a saucepan of salted water to a boil and add the lentils. Lower
the heat and simmer for 15–20 minutes until tender. Drain and put
in a large salad bowl.

Put the onion, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, chilli, garlic, sugar, tomato
purée and crushed fennel seeds in a small saucepan. Bring to a
simmer and cook gently, stirring frequently, for 4–5 minutes until
the sugar has dissolved. Spoon the warm dressing over the lentils
and leave to cool.

For the roasted vegetables, drizzle a little oil on to the base of a
roasting tin. Add the pumpkin or squash pieces, season with salt and
mix together thoroughly. Roast for 10 minutes. Toss the fennel and
whole tomatoes in a little oil, add to the tin and roast for another
10 minutes. Finally, toss the courgettes and peppers in a little oil, add
to the tin and roast for a further 10 minutes. By now the vegetables
should all be tender and cooked through. Set aside to cool slightly.
Roughly chop the parsley and add to the salad bowl along with the
salad leaves and roasted vegetables.
Mix everything together well and serve.