Warm Savory Lentil Salad

I'm finally back to cooking,  I think.  What between trying out new burrito places with guests and then eating at the Whole Foods salad bar each night that I spent at a conference in Salt Lake City...  I don't have much in my fridge.

I am amazed that this is so good.  It's just lentils--but I think bay leaves actually are magic.  Anyway, I just read a review of this restaurant and thinking about the similarities between (Americanized) Mexican and Indian food.  At first, I was just going to season the lentils like refried beans, but in the end, I went for more spices.  The combination of bay leaf and lentils is a delicious savory taste, almost like mushrooms.  The only thing that was missing is avocado (which are now coming from California again!).

Warm Savory Lentil Salad over Mixed Greens with Whole Wheat Tortilla

Ingredients

olive oil

white parts of a bunch of scallions, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/3 jalapeno, minced

cumin

coriander

turmeric

cayenne to taste (and depending on your jalapeno)

*

2 c stock

1 c lentils, rinsed

1 bay leaf

salt (if needed, depending on stock)

*

green scallions, chopped

cilantro, chopped

avocado

lemon or lime juice

Instructions

1. In a medium saucepan, heat olive oil.  Add scallions, garlic, jalapeno, and spices, and saute until fragrant.  

2. Add stock, lentils, and bay leaf.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 30-40 min, or until lentils are tender but not totally shapeless.  Add salt if needed (some stocks are saltier than others).

3. Serve over greens or grains.  Garnish with chopped scallions (the green part), cilantro, avocado, and lemon/lime. Serves about 3.