Herby Lentil Salad with Crispy Rice
From: Ian Seddon's Cookbook
🥘 Ingredients
- Herby Oil 9 tsp
- Lemon Rice 4 ½ cup
- high-heat 1 ½ tbsp
- Kosher
- red pepper flakes 0.25-0.5 tsp
- medium lemon 1
- Cooked Lentils 2.67 cup
- medium carrots 3
- medium fennel bulbs 2
- Fennel fronds
- Medjool dates or deglet dates 10-15
- flat-leaf parsley or cilantro 1 handful
- Crunchy Nut & Seed Mix 6 tbsp
- medium ripe avocados 2
- Flaky sea salt
If using regular green or brown lentils, the texture of the lentil salad will be a bit softer. For a little sweetness in almost every bite, use 6 Medjool date (~15 deglet date). If you don’t have parsley or cilantro, simply omit it from the salad. Add just as much avocado as you plan to eat, as it will brown in the fridge. If you love the crispy rice, add this recipe to your favorites. The crispy rice is great finished with a drizzle of soy sauce and served alongside Tofu Scramble. Storage: Crispy rice is best when served fresh. Store the lentil salad in the fridge (without avocado) for about 3 days. Freshen up leftovers with a squeeze of lemon juice and freshly sliced avocado. Nutrition boost: Add a couple handfuls of finely chopped baby spinach with the carrots/fennel in step 3. Shortcut: While I love the crispy rice, you can skip step 2 and serve with regular Lemon Rice.
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1Gather: Herby Oil , Lemon Rice , high-heat , Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, red pepper flakes , medium lemon , Cooked Lentils . For the carrot & fennel mix (from vegetable prep): medium carrots , medium fennel bulbs , Fennel fronds , Medjool dates or deglet dates , flat-leaf parsley or cilantro , Crunchy Nut & Seed Mix , medium ripe avocados , Flaky sea salt .
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2Take the Herby Oil out of the fridge to bring to room temperature.
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3Make the crispy rice. With the Lemon Rice, break up any clumps with your hands. Heat a 12-inch (30 cm) sauté pan or frying pan over high heat for 1 ½ to 2 minutes, or until very hot. Add the 1 1/2 tbsp of oil. Once shimmering, carefully add in the Lemon Rice. Use a silicone spatula to smush the rice into a disc and pack it in, but no thicker than 1 inch (2.5 cm) tall. Drizzle some oil around the outside perimeter of the rice so it crisps up more. Season with a few pinches of salt. Cook undisturbed for 4-6 minutes , or until the bottom layer is golden in most spots and crispy on the outside. Turn off the heat and place a large plate or cutting board on top of the frying pan. Carefully invert the frying pan onto the plate so the crispy bottom side of the rice is plated face up.
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4While the rice cooks, start on the lentil salad. In a large bowl, combine the Herby Oil, red pepper flakes, and 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice. Add in the 2 3/4 cup Cooked Lentils and toss to coat. Add the Carrot & Fennel Mix and any fennel fronds, plus the chopped dates and herbs. Season with 1/2 tsp kosher salt and several cracks of pepper. Toss well, then sprinkle the Crunchy Nut & Seed Mix on top. Season with more salt to taste as needed Taste, adding more Herby Oil as desired.
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5Just before serving, add in the avocado. Gently toss or massage it into the salad (if planning to keep leftovers, add the avocado to your serving plates, as it will brown in the fridge). Taste, adding a pinch or two of flaky salt and a few squeezes of lemon juice.
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6Serve the lentil salad with crispy rice on the side (break up the crispy rice with your hands).