Ingredients

Check off ingredients as you go

Serves 6

• 300g (1½ cups) lentils (green or black)
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 tomatoes or 6-8 cherry tomatoes, cut into pieces
• 2 cucumbers (or 3 if small), finely diced
• 2 ripe avocados, cubed
• 1 red onion (or sliced fresh white spring onions)
• 200g (7 oz) smoked salmon cut into strips then cubed

For the vinaigrette

• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 7 tbsp olive oil
• Salt, pepper
• A few sprigs of fresh chives or chopped parsley

If you change the number of serving, consider adjusting cooking times!

1. Rinse the black lentils thoroughly, then place them in a pot of water with the bay leaf (no salt—it would prevent proper cooking) for 25 minutes or until tender. (Generally use about 3 times the volume of water to lentils, as they’ll absorb quite a bit).
2. While the lentils cook, finely dice the red onion (I make thin slices then cut them the other way) and place in a small bowl with the vinegar (this removes the sharp raw taste and creates a pickled effect).
3. In a large salad bowl, cut the salmon, tomatoes, cucumbers, and avocados. In a small bowl, mix all the vinaigrette ingredients except the chives (or parsley).
4. Rinse the lentils under cold water and drain well, add salt (not too much since the smoked salmon is already salty), then add them to the salad bowl along with the red onion and salmon.
5. Pour the vinaigrette over, mix well, and serve chilled with a bit of freshly chopped chives at the last moment.

Tips and variations

• Served as a main dish for 6 people, I use 500g (2½ cups) of lentils.