French Lentil, Pear and Walnut Salad

If you're going to survive the holiday season relatively unscathed, you need to balance all the Halloween candy, Thanksgiving pie and Christmas cookies with some lighter meals.  This vegetarian main dish salad fits the bill perfectly while still being very satisfying with its mix of flavors and textures.  I think crunch is important in a vegetarian dish to make it feel substantial, and here the crunch comes from the walnuts and pomegranate seeds.  The French lentils are also firm while tender at the same time.

If you're not familiar with French lentils, they're a small dark green variety that you'll also see called lentils le puy or lentils du puy.  They retain their shape and firmness after cooking unlike other lentils that break down into mush.  They're my favorite type of lentils for all recipes except soups or other dishes where you actually want the lentils to break down.

The baby greens (kale, arugula or spinach) add freshness and a little bitterness, and the balsamic mustard vinaigrette ties everything together.

My local natural foods store actually carries small tubs of fresh pomegranate seeds, and I think I remember that Trader Joe's does as well.  If not, and you can't find a pomegranate, dried cranberries will work just as well.  I just like the look of the pomegranate seeds - they're like little jewels.

Last note - if you can find mild French feta, try it.  I much prefer it to the tangier and saltier traditional feta cheese.

print

French Lentil, Pear and Walnut Salad

Serves 4

For the Vinaigrette:

¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

¼ teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

For the salad:

1 cup French lentils (lentils du puy), uncooked

2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, chopped

1 firm pear, thinly sliced

½ cup chopped toasted walnuts

½ cup feta, crumbled

4 cups baby greens (baby kale, arugula, spinach, etc.)

1/3 cup pomegranate seeds (or dried cranberries)

  

To make the vinaigrette, combine all ingredients in a small jar and shake well. Set aside.

Cook the lentils according to package directions; drain and place in a bowl to cool.  Just before serving, add the fresh thyme leaves and just enough vinaigrette to coat lightly (you'll probably have some left over).  Add the baby greens and toss gently to combine.

Divide the lentils and greens among shallow bowls and top with pear slices, walnuts, feta and pomegranate seeds.

Thai Butternut Squash Soup Recipe

I've been having fun lately with recipes from Morocco, Korea, Thailand, Jerusalem - anything with interesting flavors and spices.  I think it's my way of dealing with cooler weather without heavy carbs and cheese (can you say lasagna?).

Anyway, soup is one of my favorite cool weather foods so when a family member offered up a recipe for Thai Butternut Squash Soup, I had to make it.  It's an excellent and very satisfying meal with some crusty bread on the side.  The squash and coconut milk make it smooth and creamy, while the seeds add crunch. You can make it as mild or spicy as you want - as written, it's quite mild.  Add more red curry paste or hot sauce if you like the spice.

I won't lie - it's a fair amount of work if you make it start to finish all in one go.  Peeling and seeding and cubing the squash is not all that fun or easy in my book.  But, there are two ways you can simplify everything - either prep your vegetables in advance (this is what I did), or buy cut-up squash at the store and skip the squash seed garnish.  And since it makes a lot you'll have containers to freeze for the next rainy day, metaphorically or otherwise. (That's my standard rational for any soup recipe, by the way.)

print

Thai Butternut Squash Soup Recipe

Serves 6-8 Note: you can buy cut-up squash to save time and skip the squash seed garnish, using just peanuts. Soup 3 tablespoons  olive oil 1 sweet onion, diced 1/4 cup red curry paste 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional) 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger 8 garlic cloves, minced 3 cups uncooked butternut squash peeled, cut into 1”cubes, seeds separated 1 large sweet potato peeled, cut into 1”cubes 3 medium carrots peeled and chopped 4 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable stock 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1 14 oz. can coconut milk  1 tablespoon fish sauce 1 tablespoon dried basil 2 tablespoons lime juice Sriracha/Asian hot chili sauce to taste (optional) Honey Sriracha Butternut Squash Seeds (optional) Reserved butternut squash seeds 1 tablespoon honey 1/2 teaspoon olive oil 1/2 teaspoon Sriracha/ Asian hot chili sauce 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin Garnishes Freshly squeezed lime juice 1 cup peanuts 1/2 cup cilantro, roughly chopped  ½ cup plain yogurt

If you’re making the squash seeds:  preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a baking tray with a slip mat, parchment paper or foil sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Rinse squash seeds and pat dry. In a small bowl, whisk together honey, olive oil, Sriracha, salt and cumin; add seeds and stir until evenly coated. Spread seeds out evenly on baking sheet in a single layer. Cook for 30-35 minutes until golden, stirring every 10 minutes.  Remove from the oven and stir so the seeds don’t stick; let cool.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large sauté pan (may use large soup pot or Dutch oven), over medium heat. When oil is hot, add onions and sauté until onions are soft, about 3 - 5 minutes. Add red curry paste, red pepper flakes, ginger and garlic; stir to combine with onions and sauté for 3 minutes. Add squash, sweet potatoes, carrots and chicken stock. Season with ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, and then reduce heat to medium. Simmer for 15-20 minutes or until vegetables are soft.

Meanwhile, toast peanuts lightly in a medium skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally until golden. Let cool and rough chop.

 Once vegetables are soft, pour half of the vegetable mixture into a blender. Remove the middle piece of the cover and drape a towel over the cover before blending (this prevents explosions with hot liquids). Puree until soup is smooth, then transfer to a large bowl. Repeat with remaining soup and pour everything back into the soup pot.

Add coconut milk, fish sauce, and basil to the soup and cook until soup is heated through (2-5 minutes). When ready to server, stir in 2 tablespoons lime juice. Taste soup and add desired amount of Sriracha, salt and pepper to taste.

To serve, squeeze fresh lime juice onto individual bowls for a fresh pop and garnish with roasted seeds, peanuts and cilantro.  Drizzle with a spoonful of plain yogurt.