I’m still recovering from the heaviness of holiday meals, and I’m willing to bet you are, too. This salad was inspired by one I had at Chimborazo (an Ecuadorian restaurant in Northeast Minneapolis) – a simple salad with a zippy dressing and fresh greens. I found it to be exactly what I’ve been craving. The side of red lentils are filling and full of flavor, but mild enough to let the cilantro and the lime shine through.
Happy New Year!
Vegan // Serves 2
2 hearts of Romaine lettuce
half of a small sweet onion (like Vidalia)
4T olive oil
2t lemon juice
1T fresh cilantro
1/2 cup red lentils
1.5 cups vegetable broth
Croutons (optional)
Rinse the lentils and add to a large pot with the vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then simmer over low heat for 35-40 minutes, stirring occasionally. You’ll know they are done when the liquid is absorbed and they are pretty thick. Remove from heat and set aside.
Remove the outer layers of the Romaine hearts and discard. Tear the Romaine into bite-size pieces (you’ll end up with about 2 cups).
Cut the halved onion in half again, and slice it to your liking.
Finely chop the cilantro and place in a small bowl with the olive oil and lime juice. Stir well with a fork and transfer to a pan over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and saute them for 3-5 minutes, until they’re no longer raw.
Place the Romaine lettuce on a plate and drizzle the hot vinaigrette over. Top with croutons, if you’d like. Add the red lentils on the side or on top of the salad, and enjoy!
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2 Comments
Sounds delicious. I’ll have to give it a try. We love Chimborazo too. What a great place for REAL food!
That is a great steam shot!