Lentil Leek and Rocket Salad

Adapted from: Grace Elkus

Serves: 6 (as a meal)

Prep time: 30 minutes
Rest time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

1 can lentils or 1/2 cup dried black or brown lentils

1/2 cup marcona almonds or sliced almonds or blanched almonds

olive oil

1 large leek

141 g (5 oz) rocket / arugula, roughly chopped

1 head red leaf lettuce, roughly chopped

1/3 cup fresh mint leaves, minced or chopped

1 English cucumber, diced

1 avocado, sliced

1/3 cup dried cherries

feta (optional)

pepper to taste

pita chips, crushed (optional)

Dressing: 

1 small shallot 

1 lemon, juiced

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1.5 tsp maple syrup or honey

olive oil, to taste (about 2 tbsp)

salt & pepper

This is one of my favourite full-meal salads and the photo does not even do justice! Between the tangy cherries and the smooth avocado and the spicy arugula, this salad makes each bite feel new and exciting. In fact, like my kale power salad, this salad satiates me so much that I have no inkling for dessert after. 

It’s nearly impossible to find pita chips/crisps in Fremantle. I found legitimate pita-turned-to-chips-and-packaged. A small box for $8 AUD ($5 USD) later, and I suppose I do what it takes to make the recipe work, here. 

Marcona almonds can be so incredibly expensive so I don’t purchase them for this recipe. Look, I know how hypocritical this looks with my pita purchase (no further comment). Alternative almonds to Marcona will never compare. BUT I like this method of prep because it gives the feeling of Marconas. Again, they are not comparable, but it does the trick for this recipe. 

Soak the shallots in the lemon juice for a bit to help reduce the potency of the shallot. 

If you waited too long to prep this salad (like me, err..), and your lettuce has wilted, did you know you can probably bring it back to life. What you’ll need: a large bowl and cold water. Wash/rinse the greens gently if they have not yet had a good wash (doesn’t have to be perfect). Fill a large bowl with cold water and toss in the greens, mixing them to make sure they don’t clump together. Set the greens aside for 10-30 minutes and they will crisp up! It’s not perfect, and it depends just how wilted they are. My red lettuce was so soft, it draped and felt as soft as velvet. Most of the leaves were salvageable and the soak made it apparent which parts needed to be cut away. Once your leaves are ready, rinse them real well (if they need it) and cut away the parts of the leaves that are too limp. 

And as a disclaimer, I did label this recipe vegan (use maple syrup instead of honey and skip on the feta), gluten-free (skip on the pita), and nut-free (skip on the almonds). I promise it will still taste wonderful with just one or two of these missing. 

Ingredients:

1 can lentils or 1/2 cup dried black or brown lentils

1/2 cup marcona almonds or sliced almonds or blanched almonds

olive oil

1 large leek

141 g (5 oz) rocket / arugula, roughly chopped

1 head red leaf lettuce, roughly chopped

1/3 cup fresh mint leaves, minced or chopped

1 English cucumber, diced

1 avocado, sliced

1/3 cup dried cherries

feta (optional)

pepper to taste

pita chips, crushed (optional)

Dressing: 

1 small shallot, minced

1 lemon, juiced

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1.5 tsp maple syrup or honey

olive oil, to taste (about 2 tbsp)

salt & pepper

Directions:
1. If using dried lentils, cook lentils until just tender. Drain excess water and set aside to cool.

2. If not using Marcona almonds: in a large pan, toast the almonds. Remove them from the heat, add a few drops of olive oil to coat them and sprinkle sea salt generously. Set aside to cool.

3. Discard the root end of the leek. Chop off the feathered greens on the top of the leek and discard. Halve the leek stalk, clean, and slice into thin (1/4”) half circles.

4. In the same pan from above, heat 2 tsp olive oil on medium heat. Add the leek and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the edges are golden and crispy (about 8 minutes). Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Mix them in with the lentils and pop them in the freezer or fridge to cool until the other prep is complete.

5. For the dressing, combine the shallot and lemon juice to a jar or small bowl. Let it sit for at least 5 minutes. 

6. To the lemon juice, mix in the Dijon and maple syrup/honey. Continue whisking whilst drizzling in olive oil to taste. 

7. In a large salad bowl, combine the lentils, leeks, rocket/arugula, lettuce, mint, cucumber, avocado, cherries, feta, and pepper. Add enough dressing to coat.

8. Top with the almonds and pita chips. Add more dressing if needed. Store in the fridge for up to 2 days.