Lentil salad with capers & nuts

Puy lentils are cheap and easy to prepare. This is a fantastic lunch box filler or side to any protein from duck confit to fish! A simple shortcut here is to use tinned, pre-cooked lentils – make sure you rinse them very well. Great nutrients for your brain health in this dish!

Serves 2

Ingredients

200g puy lentils, soaked for 20 mins + in water

1 lemon, zest & juice

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

25g raw hazelnuts

25g raw almonds

2 tsp capers, rinsed & drained

1 spring onion chopped

10g fresh tarragon, chopped

100g cherry tomatoes, halved

Method:

1. Bring 300ml of water to the boil, add a little lemon zest, a drizzle of the olive oil, and drained lentils and simmer for 15 mins until cooked, they will have a soft bite to them when ready.

2. Toast the nuts in the oven at 180°C for 5 mins or on a dry pan for 2-3 mins, remove, roughly chop, set aside.

3. Combine capers, oil, lemon juice, spring onion, tarragon, and most of the nuts in a bowl

4. Place the lentils and tomatoes in a bowl, mix through the dressing. Top with lemon zest and remaining nuts.

Variations: To speed things up, you can use a drained tin of pre-cooked lentils.

Serving suggestions: Serve with smoked salmon or trout as a quick summer meal, serve on a bed of watercress or rocket if you want to boost the nutrients further.

Storage: This keeps for 2-3 days in the fridge.