Puy lentil and tomato salad with jammy onions and crispy feta

Puy lentil and tomato salad with jammy onions and crispy feta

This delicious lentil salad relies on the freshest tomatoes, lightly marinated, and red onions prepared two ways: quick-pickled and cooked down into a sweet and sour jam. Together they create something wonderful, with crispy feta on top providing a pleasing creamy crunch.

Puy lentil and tomato salad with jammy onions and crispy feta

Discover more delicious ways with puy lentils.

  • Serves icon Serves 4
  • Time icon Hands-on time 30 min

This delicious lentil salad relies on the freshest tomatoes, lightly marinated, and red onions prepared two ways: quick-pickled and cooked down into a sweet and sour jam. Together they create something wonderful, with crispy feta on top providing a pleasing creamy crunch.

Discover more delicious ways with puy lentils.

Nutrition: Per serving

Calories
550kcals
Fat
26g (10g saturated)
Protein
26g
Carbohydrates
46g (14g sugars)
Fibre
11g
Salt
1.7g

Ingredients

  • 3 vine tomatoes
  • 250g cherry tomatoes
  • 3 basil or tarragon sprigs (or a mix of both)
  • Sea salt flakes
  • 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 50g red wine vinegar, plus a dash
  • 1 large lemon
  • 2 large red onions
  • Vegetable or neutral oil for shallow frying, plus a dash
  • 50g caster sugar
  • 1 medium free-range egg
  • Dash whole milk
  • 15g plain flour
  • 40g panko breadcrumbs
  • 250g block feta
  • 500g cooked puy lentils
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Method

  1. Begin by marinating the tomatoes. Cut the vine tomatoes into wedges and halve the cherry tomatoes, then put them in a bowl with the herbs and sprinkle with salt flakes (if you have a posh finishing salt such as fleur de sel, use that). Add freshly ground pepper, the olive oil and a dash of vinegar, then mix. Leave at room temperature.
  2. Finely zest the lemon and set aside. Finely slice the red onions and put a handful in a bowl. Juice the zested lemon, then pour it over the onions with a pinch of salt and leave to quick-pickle.
  3. Heat a dash of oil in a pan and gently fry the remaining sliced onions for 5 minutes. Add the vinegar, sugar and 80ml water, then cook, covered, for 5 minutes Remove the lid and cook for a further 5 minutes or until the liquid has reduced down and you’re left with nice jammy onions. Spread out on a plate and put in the fridge to cool.
  4. Crack the egg into a small wide bowl and beat with the milk and a large pinch of salt. Put the flour and panko breadcrumbs in separate bowls and stir two thirds of the lemon zest into the breadcrumbs. Pat the feta dry, then slice into 4 bars. Coat one by one in the flour, then the egg, then the breadcrumbs. Heat a small frying pan with 1cm oil, then fry the feta until the crumbs are golden brown all over, turning once. Drain on kitchen paper and season with a little salt and some pepper.
  5. In a large bowl, mix the tomatoes and their juices with the lentils, then stir in the cooled jammy onions. Divide among plates, then top with the crispy feta and some pink pickled onions. Finish with the remaining lemon zest.

Nutrition

Nutrition: per serving
Calories
550kcals
Fat
26g (10g saturated)
Protein
26g
Carbohydrates
46g (14g sugars)
Fibre
11g
Salt
1.7g

delicious. tips

  1. Easy swaps For a variation on lentils, switch them for cooked rice or pasta.

  2. Marinating the tomatoes with salt and a dash of vinegar encourages the natural juices to come to the surface and create a dressing with the olive oil. Ripe, seasonal tomatoes are key.

    It’s worth making a big batch of jammy onions as they’re great in any salad. They’ll keep in the fridge for a week.

Buy ingredients online

Recipe By:

Pollyanna Coupland
Food producer, delicious.

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Read what others say...

  1. Love this recipe, as do the rest of the family. I replace the breaded feta with halloumi fried in a spot of olive oil for a bit less faff and I use uncooked lentils, cooking them while I am preparing everything else, making it a bit cheaper.

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