Mushroom Lentil Salad
The perfect filling meaty salad for a meatless Monday. We had the salad as a side, but it would be great as lunch. The texture was really great and the pop of tartness from the lemon, and the nuttiness from the arugula worked perfect with the mushrooms.
Serves 2
Ingredients:
½ cup green lentils, cooked according to instructions on the package
1 tablespoon olive oil, for cooking the mushrooms
300 g baby portobello mushrooms, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ teaspoon red chili flakes
1 tablespoons lemon juice
1 lemon, peeled and cut into filets
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, as dressing, optional
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
salt and pepper to taste
1-2 handful arugula
Directions:
Boil the lentils until tender according to instructions on the package. I boiled mine in a mushroom base, for flavor. Set the lentils aside to cool.
Fillet the lemon with a sharp knife. Cut the top and bottom off the lemon. Set your knife where the white meets the flesh and start cutting downward in a curved motion following the shape of the lemon. Keep doing this until you have peeled the lemon. Carefully cut the filets out. Save the juice, to use in the dish.
Heat the oil over high heat and cook the mushrooms, until tender. Lower the heat to medium high. Add red pepper flakes and the minced garlic, and cook until fragrant. Remove from heat and stir in the lentils, chopped parsley, lemon juice and oil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Just before serving toss in the arugula and lemon segments.
Enjoy!