Black Lentil Salad On Whipped Lemon Herb Ricotta
Inspired by the flavours of Sicily, this black lentil salad pairs earthy beluga lentils with lightly pickled onions. Served on a bed of creamy whipped ricotta flavoured with fresh herbs, lemon and good olive oil, it has a touch of honey sweetness, a little heat from pickled chillies and the freshness of parsley. It's a simple yet elegant recipe that's equally at home as a light lunch, starter or sharing dish.
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 315kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
Lentils
- 125 g black lentils beluga
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 red onion small - finely diced
- 1 organic lemon zest and some juice for ricotta
- 1 red chilli seeds and membranes removed
- 1 tsp capers small ones
- 1 clove garlic small (or half a large one) - crushed
- 1 tsp honey preferably floral
- 1 ½ tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- ½ tsp sea or rock salt
- good grinding of black pepper
- 2-3 sprig parsley finely chopped
Whipped Ricotta
- 250 g ricotta cheese
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic small (or half a large one)
- 2-3 sprig basil any tough stalks removed
- 2-3 sprig marjoram or fresh oregano - any tough stalks removed
- 1 pinch sea or rock salt
- good grinding of black pepper
Instructions
Lentils
- If you can, soak the lentils in water ahead of time - anything from 2-8 hours. Whilst this isn't strictly necessary, it reduces cooking time and aids digestion if you do.125 g black lentils
- Rinse and drain the lentils, then transfer to a small lidded saucepan. Pop in the bay leaf and add just enough water to cover them. If you haven't soaked the lentils, you'll need to add three times their volume in water.1 bay leaf
- Cover with a lid, then bring to the boil. Lower the temperature and simmer for 20-30 minutes or until the lentils are done. They should be just about soft, but still retain their shape. How long they take will depend on whether you've pre-soaked them or not. Turn the heat off and leave them to steam for bit.
- Whilst the lentils are cooking, place the chopped onion into a bowl and squeeze in the juice of half a lemon. Give a good stir and leave it to pickle awhile.1 red onion
- Finely slice the chilli into rings and place in a small bowl. Cover with a teaspoon or two of lemon juice and leave to pickle.1 red chilli
- Once the lentils have finished cooking, add the remaining dressing ingredients to the bowl of onions and give a good stir. Drain the juice from the chillies into the bowl and stir again.1 tsp capers, 1 clove garlic, 1 tsp honey, 1 ½ tbsp extra virgin olive oil, ½ tsp sea or rock salt, good grinding of black pepper
- If there's any liquid left in the pan of lentils, drain it off, then remove the bay leaf. Add the onion dressing to the lentils, give a good stir and leave to marinate for as long as you can muster. Half an hour is good, but it's fine to make the lentil salad several hours ahead or even the previous day. Just make sure that if you store them in the fridge, you bring them up to room temperature before serving.
Zest the lemon before juicing, it's much easier done whilst it's still whole.
Whipped Ricotta
- Shortly before you're ready to serve, prepare the whipped ricotta.
- Place all of the ingredients, plus the finely grated lemon zest and a teaspoon of lemon juice, into the bowl of a small food processor and blend for 1-2 minutes or until the ricotta is nice and light and the herbs are finely chopped.250 g ricotta cheese, 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 1 clove garlic, 2-3 sprig basil, 2-3 sprig marjoram, 1 pinch sea or rock salt, good grinding of black pepper
- Divide the ricotta between 2-4 plates and spread it across each plate using the back of a spoon. Then spoon the lentils on top, making sure they're divided equally.
- Garnish with the parsley and chilli slices then drizzle with a little extra olive oil, honey or both, if liked.2-3 sprig parsley
- Serve as is or with warm flatbreads or grain of choice. You may also like a green salad, roasted vegetables or a simple tomato and cucumber salad.
Notes
Serves four people as a light lunch or supper and two as a main course.
You’ll find additional tips and info about this recipe in the main body of the post.
Please note: calories and other nutritional information are per serving. They’re approximate and will depend on serving size and exact ingredients used. Please refer to my nutrition disclaimer for further information.
Nutrition
Calories: 315kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 32mg | Sodium: 373mg | Potassium: 203mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 532IU | Vitamin C: 35mg | Calcium: 180mg | Iron: 4mg