Salad with Lentils, Peas and Maize
Insalata di lenticchie, piselli e mais
Dried beans, lentils and peas are magic ingredients in all kinds of food. They are healthy, cheap, nourishing, low on fat and rich on protein with a potential for becoming just what you make of them. As demonstrated by this delicious salad with lentils, peas and maize.
The most famous green lentil are of course the French puy lentils with their peppery flavour and dark bluish green colour, but you might also try to find one of the Italian alternatives. for instance, there are IGP lentils of all colours from Castelluccio di Norcia. The lentils grow at high altitudes in a restricted area between Umbria and Marche in the Monte Sibillini National Park, and like puy lentils they are small in size, and do not need softening before they are cooked.
I make this salad when peas and maize are in season, and use them fresh from the shell and the cob. Still, I’m not sure anyone will be able to tell the difference, if good quality frozen peas and maize are used instead. The vitamin kick will supposedly be the same. And the salad will be much quicker to prepare.
If you like it, you can always try some of the other dried bean and lentil salads like Black Beluga Lentil Salad, salad with apple, carrots and celery or butter beans in tuna sauce.
Ingredients
200 g green lentils
1 onion
1 cover of garlic
1 tbsp mustard
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 corn cob or 100 g frozen maize
100 g shelled or defrosted green peas.
Salt, pepper and extra olive oil for frying.
Preparation
Peel and chop onion and garlic and very it in olive oil until soft.
Stir mustard and olive oil to a thick, creamy dressing. Then add vinegar.
Add the fried onion and garlic to the dressing.
Rinse the lentils, cover them in water with a little salt and boil for about 20 minutes.
Drain the lentils when they are done. They should still have some bite and not be turned to mush.
Fold the still warm lentils into the dressing to make sure the pulses absorb the taste.
Remove the maize from the corn cob and boil then for 2 minutes or until the color changes from pastel to bright. (Frozen maize and peas could probably do with a quick boil too.)
Shell fresh green peas directly into the lentil salad.
Leave a Reply
Want to join the discussion?Feel free to contribute!