Oven-dried tomatoes and Gorgonzola cheese highlight this tasty salad recipe. Instead of Gorgonzola, you can use any mild blue-veined cheese.
Puy Lentils, which belong to the family of green lentils, are smaller and tastier than common lentils and of the non-burp variety. They have a slightly peppery flavor and retain their shape after cooking. They are grown around the village of Puy-en-Velay in the Haute Loire and are available in most well-stocked supermarkets.
Yield: 4 servings
Time: 60 minutes
Ingredients:
- 5 ripe and firm plum tomatoes, quartered
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- balsamic vinegar to drizzle
- sea salt
- 1 1/8 cups (225 g) Puy lentils or similar green lentils, like Casteluccio lentils
- 1 medium red onion, very thinly sliced
- 1 Tbsp good quality red wine vinegar
- 1/3 cup (75 g) mild Gorgonzola or mild blue vein cheese, cut into rough chunks
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 3 Tbsp fresh dill, chopped
- 3 Tbsp chives, chopped
- 3 Tbsp flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
Start with preparing the tomatoes. Slice tomatoes in quarters lengthwise. Place tomatoes skin-side down on a baking sheet lined with baking paper. Sprinkle with thyme and sea salt on top. Drizzle olive oil and balsamic vinegar over the tomatoes. Roast tomatoes for about 30-40 minutes or until tomatoes look semi-dried but still soft. Set aside to cool down.
In the meantime, place the Puy lentils in a pan of boiling salted water (the water should come 1″ (2,5 cm) above the lentils) and cook for 20-30 minutes or until tender. While the lentils are cooking, place onion rings in a bowl with the red vinegar and sea salt. Set aside.
Drain lentils well in a sieve and, while still warm, add them to the red onion slices. Mix in the olive oil, garlic, and some black pepper. Stir and leave to cool. Once cool, add dill chives, and parsley. Toss it together. Adjust seasoning.
Arrange lentils on a large plate or bowl. Add Gorgonzola or blue cheese and roasted tomatoes. Drizzle any accumulated tomato juices on top and serve room temperature.
