LENTIL SALAD WITH FRESH FAVAS

Lentil Salad With Fresh Favas image

According to Jo Robinson, a food and nutrition writer whose informative new book, Eating on the Wild Side," cites a federal survey of phytonutrient content of common fruits and vegetables, lentils have the most antioxidant activity of all legumes, with black beans a close second.

Provided by Martha Rose Shulman

Time 2h

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 17

Ingredients

1 cup lentils, rinsed and picked over
3 large garlic cloves, 2 of them crushed and left in the skin, 1 of them minced
1/2 onion, intact
1 bay leaf
Salt to taste
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar or cider vinegar
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds, lightly toasted and ground
1/2 teaspoon mild chili powder or Aleppo pepper
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 pound fresh fava beans, shelled and skinned
2 medium tomatoes, in season only, diced
1/4 cup diced celery
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
1 bunch scallions, chopped

Steps:

Place the lentils, whole crushed garlic cloves, onion half and bay leaf in a large, heavy saucepan and cover by 1 inch with water. Bring to a boil, add salt to taste, reduce the heat, cover and simmer until lentils are tender but still firm, about 30 minutes. Remove from the heat, remove the lid and allow the lentils to cool for 30 minutes. Remove and discard the onion. Remove the garlic cloves and squeeze the cooked garlic out of the skins and back into the lentils. Drain off any liquid remaining in the pot.
Transfer the lentils to a large bowl. Whisk together the lemon juice, vinegar, salt to taste, cumin, chili powder or Aleppo pepper, freshly ground pepper and olive oil. Toss with the lentils. Add the remaining ingredients and toss together. Let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 353, UnsaturatedFat 9 grams, Carbohydrate 50 grams, Fat 12 grams, Fiber 12 grams, Protein 18 grams, SaturatedFat 2 grams, Sodium 587 milligrams, Sugar 9 grams