Recipe: Black Caviar Lentil Salad with Nocellara Olive Oil and Olives, Golden Raisins, Pistachios

This fast (less then 30 minutes! really!) entree salad is equally delicious warm or room temperature, is great for leftovers, and the perfect fast light meal to enjoy the bold fresh flavor of our Nocellara olive oil. Save time by slicing the shallots and chopping olives while lentils are cooking. For the olives, use Nocellara olives, which you can find in American markets labelled as Castelvetrano.

Serves 3-4 for a light meal, or 6-8 as a side dish, stretch the dish into a heartier meal by topping salad portions with grilled fish or lamb.

Ingredients

• 8 ounces (225g) dry black caviar lentils (or substitute de puy)
• 2 cloves garlic, whole, peeled
• 2 sprigs of thyme
• scant 1 tsp (2g) kosher salt
• 1 small shallot, thinly sliced
• 1 TBS (15 ml) red wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup (75g) golden raisins 
• 12 large Nocellara/Castelvetrano olives, pitted and chopped
• 3 TBS (45 ml) Olio Taibi Nocellara Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 cup (or a few really big handfuls) arugula
• 1/2 cup (60g) raw, shelled pistachios 

Instructions

Rinse lentils in a fine mesh strainer, pick over, then place in a 3 or 4 qt pot along with garlic cloves, thyme, and kosher salt. Cover with enough water coming up two inches above lentils, put lid on pot. Heat over high heat until boiling, then remove lid, lower heat to a simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally for even cooking, until lentils are tender but still al dente.

Meanwhile, place sliced shallot in a small bowl with the red wine vinegar and let sit while lentils cook. 

When lentils are cooked, drain in a fine mesh strainer, pick out thyme stems and garlic cloves and discard. Place lentils in a bowl. While still warm, stir in golden raisins. Toss occasionally until no longer streaming. You want to add the raisins while the lentils are still hot to plump the raisins with the steam. After the lentils are no longer hot, but are now warm (a few minutes), whisk the Nocellara olive oil into the shallot/vinegar mixture to make a dressing. Add shallot dressing to lentils, along with castelvetrano olives and stir gently to mix all. Scatter arugula over a platter, pile lentil salad on top, and then scatter the pistachios all over. Serve warm or at room temperature. 

Buon Appetito!

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