Lentil Salad with Walnuts and Prosciutto
Total time: 30 minutes
We sautéed the walnuts and half of the ham in butter to enhance the flavor and add crunch to the salad. I use the tiny green French lentils - du Puy. You could use larger brown lentils but not the red ones, they get too mushy.
Ingredients:
- 1/3 cup lentils
- 1 cup (8oz, 240ml) beef stock
- 1/2 (4oz, 120ml) cup water
- 4 slices Prosciutto or other dry-cured ham about 3oz (90gr)
- 1/4 cup whole walnuts about 1oz (30gr)
- 1 tbs butter
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 2 tbs fresh snipped chives substitute 1 tbs dried
- 2 tbs fresh snipped parsley substitute 1 tbs dried
- 1 tsp Dijon-style mustard
- 1 tbs salad olive oil
- 1 tbs walnut oil
- 1 tbs sherry vinegar
Instructions:
- Rinse and pick through lentils (in case quality control missed the odd stone).
- Put in a small sauce pan along with stock and water and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat, cover and cook until done - about 20 minutes. Taste to determine when done properly.
- Drain any excess cooking liquid and set aside.
- Heat butter in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add walnuts and sauté about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Roughly chop 2 slices of Prosciutto and add to walnuts. Sauté until Prosciutto is crisp, another 4 - 5 minutes.
- Remove and break walnut halves in half.
- Snip herbs.
- Just before serving mix oils, soy sauce, mustard and vinegar in bowl large enough to hold lentils.
- Add lentils, chopped ham, walnuts and herbs and mix well.
- Cut remaining 2 slices of Prosciutto in half the long way. Arrange in a circle on 2 plates.
- Spoon lentil salad in the center and serve.