Lentil Salad

Adapted from Alice Waters’s The Art of Simple Food.

SERVINGS 4

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup lentils (French green [Puy] lentils or black Beluga lentils are the best varieties to use for lentil salads because they have lots of flavor and they hold their shape when cooked.)
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• Salt
• Fresh-ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions or
• 3 tablespoons finely diced shallot
• 3 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 1/4 cup red bell pepper sometimes

PREPARATION

1. Sort and rinse the lentils. Cover with water by 3 inches and bringto a boil. Turn down to a simmer 

and cook until tender all the way through (adding more water if necessary), about 30 minutes. Drain and reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.

2. Toss the lentils with the red wine vinegar, salt, and fresh-ground black pepper. Let sit for 5 minutes. Taste and add more salt and vinegar if needed.

3. Add the extra-virgin olive oil, scallions or shallot, and parsley. Stir to combine. If the lentils seem dry and are hard to stir, loosen them with a bit of the reserved cooking liquid.

VARIATIONS

Add 1/2 cup diced cucumber.
Dice very fine 1/4 cup each of carrot, celery, and onion. Cook until tender in a couple spoonfuls of olive oil. Cool and stir into the salad in place of the scallions or shallots.
Garnish with 1/2 cup crumbled goat or feta cheese.
Toast and crush 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds and add to the salad.
Substitute cilantro for the parsley.
Dice 1/4 cup flavorful sweet peppers, season with salt, and let stand to soften. Stir in with the scallions or shallots.