Warm Lentil, Roasted Pepper and Herb Salad

Ingredients

• 🍲Cooked Lentils, drained if using canned2 cup
• 🫙Roasted Red Peppers (jar), drained and sliced into strips1 cup
• 🧅Red Onion, thinly sliced1
• 🧄Garlic, finely minced2 clove
• 🫒Extra Virgin Olive Oil2 tbsp
• 🧊Lemon Juice2 tbsp
• 🍅Dijon Mustard1 tsp
• 🌿Flat-Leaf Parsley, roughly chopped1 cup
• 🌿Basil, torn½ cup
• 🧂Sea Salt (fine)to taste
• 🧂Black Pepper (ground)to taste

Contains Garlic, Mustard, Onion. AI-generated, checked against common allergens; always check labels.

Method

1. 1

   Slice the onion

   Trim the Red Onion, peel it, and slice it into thin half-moons on a cutting board with a sharp knife, about 2 mm thick. Keep the slices even so they soften at the same rate; if they feel too thick, shave a little more off rather than forcing them into the pan later.

   3 min
2. 2

   Mince the garlic

   Peel the Garlic Cloves and mince them finely on the cutting board until they are in tiny, even pieces. Smaller bits perfume the oil without browning too fast; if any pieces are chunky, chop them once more so they do not scorch in the skillet.

   2 min
3. 3

   Mix the dressing

   In a small bowl, whisk the Lemon Juice, Dijon Mustard, Salt, and Black Pepper into the Extra Virgin Olive Oil until the dressing turns slightly cloudy and thick enough to cling to a spoon. If it looks split at first, keep whisking for a few seconds and it will come back together into a smooth, shiny emulsion.

   2 min
4. 4

   Soften the onion

   Set a large skillet over medium heat and warm half of the Extra Virgin Olive Oil until it shimmers. Add the sliced Red Onion and stir it often for about 3 minutes, until it turns soft and translucent at the edges with the first hints of gold; if it starts catching, lower the heat and stir more often so it sweetens instead of browning hard.

   3 min
5. 5

   Warm the lentils

   Add the Cooked Lentils and the Garlic to the skillet and stir them through the softened onion for about 2 minutes, until the lentils are steaming and the garlic smells fragrant rather than sharp. Keep the heat at medium and move everything around the base of the skillet so the garlic does not toast dark in one spot.

   2 min
6. 6

   Add the peppers

   Fold the Roasted Red Peppers into the skillet and toss for about 1 minute, just until they are hot and glossy and the lentils are evenly flecked with red. Keep them moving so the peppers warm through without breaking down into a soft puree; you want distinct strips in the finished salad.

   1 min
7. 7

   Dress and toss

   Take the skillet off the heat and pour the dressing over the warm lentils, then toss until everything looks lightly coated and no dressing pools at the bottom. If the mixture seems too tight, let it sit in the warm skillet for a few seconds while you fold it again; the lentils should drink up the vinaigrette and look glossy, not soupy.

   1 min
8. 8

   Fold in herbs

   Add the Fresh Parsley and Fresh Basil to the skillet and fold them through gently for about 30 seconds, until the leaves are evenly scattered and just beginning to wilt at the edges. Stop as soon as they look vibrant and the smell turns fresh and green, because overmixing will bruise them and dull the salad.

   1 min
9. 9

   Plate the salad

   Spoon the salad into a shallow bowl and let the warm lentils form a loose mound with the peppers and herbs visible on top. Finish with a final pinch of Salt and Black Pepper if needed, then serve while the salad is still warm and fragrant; if it sits too long, the herbs lose their lift and the lentils turn dull.

   1 min

Nutrition per serving