A delicious black lentil and apple salad, with a red wine vinaigrette and toasted pine nuts. This warming salad is filling and hearty with delicious contrasting flavours from the lentils and apples!
One of the questions I get asked most by my friends and family when talking about food blogging is where I get my inspiration from. Well, the answer is mostly a combination of things I’ve eaten and gained inspiration from, reading through my favourite book “The Flavour Bible” for ideas of combinations etc… but this recipe is different…
The inspiration for this one came from a very specific situation, and I think it’s kind of a funny story. Just over a month ago, I was rushed into surgery to have my gallbladder removed, so that was a crazy day. I spent the next 3 days in hospital and suffice to say I did not react well to any of the painkillers they gave me. I had an unsettled stomach (to put it nicely) for most of the time I was in hospital and didn’t really eat anything. On my last evening, after FINALLY finding an anti nausea drug that worked I was finally able to eat a whole meal, and it was a black lentil apple salad.
I think it may have been because it was the first time I’d eaten properly in nearly 4 days, but it was the most glorious thing I’ve ever tasted in my life (and we are talking about hospital food here), and I knew I had to test it out at home myself. Obviously I had no recipe to follow, so I just took to the kitchen and started playing around with different flavours to make something that brought back those wonderful flavours to me!
It was so good, Ben and I ate the entire thing for lunch in one sitting, and I promise you will like it just as much!
The combination of the black lentils and sweet crunchy apple is just heavenly. I love mixing flavours and textures in recipes to make something a bit unusual, something that really makes you sit up and pay attention when you eat it. A meal you remember is always a good thing. In future though, I hope to go back to getting my inspiration from the flavour bible and produce I see in the grocery store!
I hope you enjoy this lentil apple salad as much as I do, and that you get to keep your gallbladder ;)
Lentil Apple Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup (210g) Dry Black lentils
- 1 Apple variety of your choice
- 2 tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
- 1 tbsp Lemon Juice
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp Dijon Mustard
- salt and pepper to season
- Watercress
- 1/4 cup (4 tbsp) Pine Nuts
- 2 tbsp parsley finely chopped
- 1.5 litres Vegetable Stock
Instructions
- Add the vegetable stock to a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and add the lentils, cook for 25-30 minutes until the lentils are soft.
- While the lentils are cooking, mix together the red wine vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice and mustard to make the dressing. Add the finely chopped parsley. Taste and season as you like. Pour the dressing into a large bowl
- Core and finely slice the apple. Add to the bowl with the dressing and toss to coat it. This will prevent the apple going brown.
- Toast the pine nuts in a dry frying pan for a few minutes until lightly golden. Set aside.
- Drain the lentils and add to the bowl with the apple and dressing, toss until all is coated. Add a few handfuls of watercress and the pine nits and serve.
I’m super jealous! I’ve been in the hospital a lot and never had anything that interesting. But I know that feeling exactly. One time, I’d been unable to eat for so long that when they bumped me up to pureed food I thought it was the best thing in the world. I’m so sorry you had to go through that but glad you’re on the mend and able to create and eat such a beautiful dish! I’m loving salads that combine lentils or ancient grains with seasonal fruit and veggies right now, so I’ll probably be making this soon.
Oh, this does sound good! I know exactly what you mean about not being able to eat for a while and then finally having something that just blows your mind it’s so good. (I am kind of amazed that a hospital would have something this vibrant and healthy, though!) It sounds absolutely delicious. I love how you said the flavors make you “sit up and pay attention,” because so often we eat our food mindlessly… but a really good meal pulls you into the present moment.
I’m so glad you’re out of the hospital and feeling better, and able to make tasty things again! I’m pinning this one so I remember to try it later. :)
Thanks so much Willow. Yes, we are extremely lucky in Switzerland that hospital food is so nice!