Click for Cookbook LOGIN
"A nickel will get you on the subway, but garlic will get you a seat."--Old New York Proverb

Lentil and Endive Salad Recipe

  Tried it? Rate this Recipe:
 

 

This recipe for Lentil and Endive Salad is from , one of the cookbooks created at FamilyCookbookProject.com. We'll help you start your own personal cookbook! It's easy and fun. Click here to start your own cookbook!
Category:
Category:
Ingredients:  
Ingredients:  
1 cup green lentils
1 small onion
1 clove garlic
1 bay leaf
1 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
1/2 tsp dried thyme
Balsamic vinegar (to taste)
Olive oil (to taste)
Juice of 1 or 2 freshly squeezed lemons
2 or 3 fennel bulbs, sliced paper thin crosswise (do this LAST)
4-6 Belgian endives
Fresh Parmigiano Reggiano (NO SUBSTITUTES) for shaving
Truffle oil
Directions:
Directions:
First prepare the lentils: rinse and sort, add to saucepan with water to cover by 2 inches, lightly salted, onion (quartered), bay leaf, and garlic clove (whole). Boil until lentils are done, but not mushy. Remove from heat, strain off liquid. I leave the garlic in, discard onion and bay leaf. While still warm, dress the lentils with good olive oil and balsamic vinegar to taste, tossing with the thyme and chopped fresh parsley. Adjust salt and pepper. Refrigerate, covered, for up to 2 days. Bring to room
temp about an hour before serving...they should be cool, not cold.
Slice the fennel bulbs when ready to use. Keep well chilled so they will be crispy. Separate the rings...it should resemble slaw. Toss with freshly squeezed lemon juice, a tiny drizzle of olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste: be careful not to overwhelm the delicate flavor of the fennel. Pour off excess dressing.
Rinse the endives and pat dry. Separate leaves, arranging on a serving plate like flower petals. I use 6 or 8 per plate. Spoon a heaping tsp of lentils into the base of each leaf (center of plate). Top each with a mound of fennel slaw (a generous TBS is plenty), some shaved fresh Parmigiano, and a lavish drizzling of truffle oil over all. The finished salad is like a flower.
The shape of the endive lends itself well for this dish as a
"finger food" appetizer.
Number Of Servings:
Number Of Servings:
6
Personal Notes:
Personal Notes:
This dish is actually a combination of two salads made by
Cynthia Lowrance Grano, which I tasted during visits to her home in Wilton. I combined them with my own twist, and the result has been a huge success at our dinner parties. Very different...complexity of flavors and textures leave you wanting more. Truffle oil is expensive, but a little goes a long way. It's available at Williams Sonoma, Whole Foods, and most gourmet shops and delis. The fresh parm and truffle oil are centerpieces of this dish. If you don't have them, don't make this dish. I have
used brown lentils instead of green...once. Not the same.

 

 

 

Learn more about the process to create a cookbook -- or
Start your own personal family cookbook right now!  Here's to good eating!

Search for more great recipes here from over 1,500,000 in our family cookbooks!

 

 

 

1860W  

Cookbooks are great for Holiday Gifts, Wedding Gifts, Bridal Shower ideas and Family Reunions!

*Recipes and photos entered into the Family Cookbook Project are provided by the submitting contributors. All rights are retained by the contributor. Please contact us if you believe copyright violations have occurred.

Search for more great recipes here from over 1,500,000 in our family cookbooks!