Pea, Mint and Green Lentil Salad (Serves 6)
Lentils and peas are a great combination and although delicious on its own, this salad also goes well with barbecued food, poached fish or roast chicken. Dress the lentils while they are still warm so that they can absorb all the delicious flavours in the dressing. If you don't have sherry or raspberry vinegar a good balsamic will work well. If using mint from the garden, try and pick the younger, more tender leaves.
350g green lentils
2 bay leaves
350g shelled peas or frozen peas, lightly cooked until tender
a bunch of spring onions, finely sliced
1 red chilli, deseeded and chopped
a large handful of mint leaves, shredded
100g feta cheese
For the dressing:
100ml olive oil
2 tblsps sherry vinegar
2 tblsps raspberry vinegar
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp sea salt
black pepper
Mix together all the ingredients for the dressing and set aside. Put the lentils and the bay leaves in a large pan and cover with plenty of cold water. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and cook for 12 -15 minutes, or until the lentils are tender but still have a little bite. Drain the lentils, allowing any residual water to drip away, then tip into a large serving bowl and pour over the dressing while the lentils are still warm. Gently stir in the cooked peas.
When the lentils and peas have cooled, stir through the sliced onions, chilli and mint. Check the seasoning, adding more salt and pepper if needed. Crumble over the Feta cheese and store in a cool place until ready to serve.