Recipes

French Lentils and Fennel Salad

This fresh and healthy salad is perfect for a spring lunch on the patio

By Rosie Daykin /

This fresh and healthy salad is perfect for a spring lunch on the patio

Every year, my dad and his buddies go on a fishing trip to Haida Gwaii. If it goes well, I end up with a freezer full of salmon. If it goes really well, I also end up with a pantry full of canned smoked salmon. Then I make this salad and things go even better.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup dried French lentils
  • 3 cups water
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup thinly sliced fennel, about 1 bulb
  • 1 can smoked salmon, drained (about 1 cup)
  • ¼ red onion, peeled and very thinly sliced
  • 1 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped dill
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper

Instructions

  1. Place the lentils in a sieve and rinse them under cold running water for a minute or two. Combine the lentils, 3 cups water, and salt in a large pot over high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and allow the lentils to simmer, covered, for about 30 minutes, until tender. Drain and set aside.
  2. Trim the fennel stalks from the bulb and cut it in half. Using a very sharp knife or a mandoline slicer set on the thinnest setting, carefully cut the fennel into very thin slices.
  3. Place the lentils, fennel slices, smoked salmon, red onions, parsley, and dill in a large serving bowl. Use a large spoon to gently toss to combine.
  4. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients, then pour over the salad and toss again. You may wish to season with a little more salt and pepper to suit your taste.
  5. Store, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days (perfect for your packed lunch the next day).

Makes 6 servings.

 

Excerpted from Let Me Feed You: Everyday Recipes Offering the Comfort of Home by Rosie Daykin. Copyright © 2019 Rosie Daykin. Photography by Rosie Daykin and Janis Nicolay. Published by Appetite by Random House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.