Lentil - Chorizo Salad - Simply Sundays

I have a slight obsession with lentils. There. I’ve said it

I must say, if you try this lentil salad, you may feel the same

My husband treated us to a day long class at the Culinary Institute of America

It was ah-maze-ing. True story

We had such a great time working in a professional kitchen with a REAL chef instructing us!

This lentil salad was part of a delicious Sea Scallop meal, but we’re breaking it down in two parts because the lentils are so delicious they can stand on their own

Let’s start with one large yellow onion, 2 bay leaves, 6 fresh parsley sprigs, 5 garlic cloves, 2 cups of rinsed french lentils and some olive oil

Note ~ French lentils are a bit smaller and firmer than regular brown lentils. This makes them perfect for salads. I found them pretty easily at the grocery store but they are also available online or at a “trendy” store such as Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s

Le Puy Roland French Lentils

Here’s the part that I thought was pretty intuitive. Let’s add flavor to the lentils while they cook, but put the ingredients in cheesecloth so we can pluck it out super easy

Peel and cut the onion into eighths, then add to a square of cheesecloth along with the bay leaves, the parsley and garlic

Gather the edges of the cloth in and tie with butcher’s string

This is commonly referred to as a “Bouquet Garni” but our kids would call it a “flavor present”. So I’m going with it

Place the lentils and flavor present into a medium saucepan and cover with water by one inch. Bring to a boil over medium heat then reduce the heat to low and partially cover

Simmer for 20-30 minutes until cooked through. Drain, remove cheesecloth

Set the lentils aside to cool

We’ve diced 2 Spanish chorizo sausage links

Saute them over medium heat

After about 2-3 minutes, remove the chorizo from the pan and place in a fine sieve to drain

Let’s make the vinaigrette for the salad

Measure out 1/4 cup of sherry wine vinegar, 1/3 of a cup of red wine vinegar, 2 tablespoons of honey & 1 tablespoon of orange juice

Zest 2 tablespoons of orange and measure 2 teaspoons of thyme, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper and 1 teaspoon of garlic powder

Stir all ingredients together until well combined and set aside

A few fresh veggies add some welcome crunch to this delicious salad

Finely dice 3/4 cup each of fennel, celery and red bell pepper

Add the veggies to a large mixing bowl along with the vinaigrette

Add in the chorizo and lentils and stir until well combined

Taste and adjust the seasonings as necessary

Serve the Lentil – Chorizo Salad as an accompaniment to most any meal or simply over a bed of arugula

Enjoy!

Simply Sundays! ~ Lentil - Chorizo Salad

Servings: 8
Time: 15 minutes prep, 35 minutes cook
Difficulty: Medium
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Ingredients

1 large yellow onion

2 bay leaves

6 fresh parsley sprigs

5 garlic cloves

2 cups of rinsed french lentils

olive oil

2 Spanish chorizo sausage links

For the vinaigrette

1/4 cup of sherry wine vinegar

1/3 of a cup of red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons of honey

1 tablespoon of orange juice

2 tablespoons of orange zest

2 teaspoons of thyme

1 teaspoon of kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon of black pepper

1 teaspoon of garlic powder

Directions

Peel and cut the onion into eights then add to a square of cheesecloth along with the bay leaves, the parsley and garlic

Gather the edges of the cloth in and tie with butcher’s string

Place the lentils and cheesecloth packet into a medium saucepan and cover with water by one inch. Bring to a boil over medium heat then reduce the heat to low and partially cover

Simmer for 20-30 minutes until cooked through. Drain, remove cheesecloth

Set the lentils aside to cool

Dice 2 Spanish chorizo sausage links and saute over medium heat; after about 2-3 minutes, remove the chorizo from the pan and place in a fine sieve to drain

Combine sherry wine vinegar, red wine vinegar, honey & orange juice and place in a bowl

Whisk in 2 orange zest, thyme, kosher salt, black pepper and garlic powder until all vinaigrette ingredients are thoroughly combined

Finely dice 3/4 cup each of fennel, celery and red bell pepper; add the veggies to a large mixing bowl along with the vinaigrette

Add in the chorizo and lentils and stir until well combined

Taste and adjust the seasonings as necessary

Tools used to make this recipe

Regency Natural Cooking Twine

Pure Acres Farm 100% Unbleached Cheese Cloth, 18 Sq Feet

Simply Bamboo 13.5″ Valencia Bamboo Cutting Board

Winco Strainer with Double Fine Mesh, 8-Inch Diameter

Greenbrier 1 X Mini Pinch Prep Bowls, Set of 4

Royal Classique 10 Piece Professional Grade Stainless Steel Measuring Cups and Spoons Set