LENTIL AND PEAR SALAD

Warm Pui Lentil & Pear Salad w Fresh Cinnamon

Serves 2-4

Puy Lentils
1 cup puy lentils
2 cups water
2 bay leaves
3 allspice
fresh rosemary, a couple of twigs
1/2 good quality salt

Preferably soak lentils in water for 12-24 hours (but you don’t have to). Rinse lentils and add to a saucepan along with the 2 cups fresh water, bay leaves, allspice and rosemary. Bring to a boil then reduce to medium heat and let simmer for 7-15 minutes or until cooked but absolutely not mushy. Cooking time vary depending on if or how long you’ve pre-soaked lentils for. Once you feel like lentils are cooked but there’s still some water left simply discard of the water. Remove rosemary twigs, allspice and bay leaves and set aside.

Salad
1 large broccoli, only florets for this one
1/4 head spring cabbage
2 handfuls of fresh spinach
1/4 pear

1. Rinse and break off broccoli florets and cook in a steaming basket over boiling water (or over the lentils when cooking) for no more then 2-3 minutes. The broccoli should still have some crunch to them (important!) or you will have lost all of the chlorophyll and be left with mushy watery greens. Remove from heat source but keep in steaming basket and set aside.
2. Thinly slice spring cabbage using a mandolin slicer to get it super thin and add to a mixing bowl along with the spinach. Give cabbage and spinach a quick massage with your hands until slightly wilted.
3. Slice pear thinly and set aside.

Dressing
1 tbsp virgin olive oil
1 tbsp virgin sesame oil
1 tbsp full fat plant milk (I used coconut)
1/4 tsp ground white pepper
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp good quality salt
1 cinnamon stick (not for dressing but for a fresh grate over finished salad)

1. Combine all ingredients for the dressing in a small bowl and set aside

Arrange
Add the steamed broccoli to the saucepan of cooked lentils and pour over the dressing. Stir until well-combined then add the cabbage and spinach and give it all a quick toss. Plate salad and add a few slices of pear to each one. Grate some fresh cinnamon on top of it all for that final (and wildly delicious) touch. You may be able to use your regular grater if it’s a really good one but there are graters available that are specifically designed to grate sticks of cinnamon. I know, it’s super nerdy but believe me when I say that the taste and smell will be like nothing else you’ve ever tried.