Recipe: Lentil Salad

One of the most popular pulses, lentils are easy to digest and contain 25 percent protein. There are several traditional ways to prepare lentils in Catalunya. They are often cooked in a stew along with other vegetables, such as carrots, celery, onion and potato. Bacon or sausage are usually added, but can be left out for a vegetarian version. They can also be simply boiled with a little salt and incorporated into a salad, like in this recipe.

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS

• 500 g cooked lentils
• 250 g desalinated cod
• 200 g sweetcorn
• 100 g red pepper
• 100 g black olives
• 4 garlic cloves
• Olive oil
• Salt

METHOD

1. Roast the red pepper in a little olive oil in the oven for 50 minutes at 200ºC, until it is soft and the skin has darkened and blistered.
2. Place the drained lentils, black olives, sweetcorn and cod in a bowl.
3. Cut red pepper into small cubes and add to the bowl. Stir all ingredients together and place in the fridge.
4. Before serving, cut the garlic cloves into small pieces and add to the bowl.
5. Season to taste with oil or vinaigrette.

Chef's tips

1. You can vary the ingredients depending on what you have available in the fridge: tuna, boiled eggs, tomatoes, onions and green peppers can all be added.
2. If you want to make a more varied version, you can also add some cooked rice. In this case you need 250 g cooked lentils and 200 g rice.
3. You can season it with a mustard vinaigrette, made by mixing olive oil, vinegar, a tablespoon of mustard, salt and pepper.
4. If you have raw lentils, you should clean them under running water, add them to a pot and cover with cold water. Boil the lentils at a low heat then simmer for about 30 minutes. When they are cooked, drain and place them in a bowl.