Ingredients
3lb. Brown DRY Lentils (can be a medley by adding red and green lentil)
Wash and slice your mushrooms:
- Cremini mushrooms
- Oyster mushrooms
- Shitake mushrooms
- Button mushrooms
Sauté the following:
- 5 cloves of fresh garlic – finely diced (ok to reduce the number of cloves if garlic isn’t your thing)
- 2 tablespoon of mushroom base – vegetable base can be substituted
- 2 cups EV Olive Oil – more may be needed as the salad sets the lentils will absorb the oil
- Sea salt and Black Pepper – to suit your taste
Chop the following
- 4 stalks fresh celery – medium chop
- 2-3 stalks of chives – chopped
Quick Steps
- Boil the lentils in salted water until they are cooked al dente – slightly firm (approximately 10 to 15 min).
- Shock them in ice water when ready.
- In a large fry-pan, sauté the olive oil and garlic – until garlic is slightly golden.
- Add the chopped mushrooms, base and salt/pepper to taste – sauté for approximately 5 minutes or until mushrooms begin to wilt.
- Allow the mushroom sauté to cool.
- Add the cooled mushroom mixture and chopped celery to the lentils – toss evenly.
- Select a bowl, fill with the mixture and top with freshly chopped chives.
- Serve at room temperature.
- Salad can also be served chilled – make ahead of time and refrigerate for 5-7 days.
Choosing the Plate (or serving bowl)
This lentil salad can be served as a VEGAN main meal or as a complementary salad for your summer grilled meats or poultry. It is perfectly suited for when preparing for a larger group in advance.
Plating for a main meal – use a flanged-edge bowl and garnish with slivers of red pepper and pine nuts to add interest to your chives.
When plating for a party – let your bowl depict the theme of the event and the amount of salad being served. We like hand-carved wooden bowls like this one from master wood-crafter Vinzon Lee.
