Honey mustard Puy lentil salad
Packed with crunch and colour, and bursting with flavour, this vibrant salad can be made ahead of time. Serve it on its own or as the perfect accompaniment to barbecue fare.
Makes 3 portions Preparation time 15 minutes Cooking time 25 minutes
Ingredients
• 180g Puy lentils
• 1 avocado
• Juice of ½ lemon
• 150g tenderstem broccoli, trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces
• 100g green beans, trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces
• 2 handfuls of cherry tomatoes, halved
• 3 handfuls of rocket
• 3 tbsp pumpkin seeds
For the dressing
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
• 1 tbsp honey
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
• Salt and black pepper
Method
1. Put the lentils into a saucepan and cover with three times the amount of water. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes until just tender. Drain and set aside.
2. Peel the avocado, cut into cubes, tip into a bowl and squeeze the lemon juice over the top.
3. Bring another saucepan of water to the boil and have ready a bowl of iced water. Cook the broccoli and green beans in the boiling water for 3-4 minutes before plunging them into the iced water to halt the cooking process and preserve their green colour. Drain and pat dry.
4. In a separate bowl, mix the dressing ingredients and then spoon evenly into the bottom of three lidded containers so that, when stored, nothing goes soggy. Layer the lentils on top, followed by the blanched greens, cherry tomatoes, a handful of rocket, the pumpkin seeds and a sprinkle of salt. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
5. Just before eating, shake everything in the container to mix the dressing with the salad.
Recipe extracted from‘ Cooking Fast and Slow’ by Natalia Rudin, published by Penguin Life, price £ 25, with photography by Issy Croker.
6 < Boxmoor Direct < August 2025 <