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Summer Tomato Lentils

By The Sprouted Kitchen
WebMD Recipe from Foodily.com

Picture of Summer Tomato Lentils Laguna Beach has its farmers market on Saturday, so that was my first stop this past (real) weekend. I can travel to others during the week if need be, but I find it much more charming to walk to my market, canvas bag in hand -- it fits the Saturday picture I paint in my head. I joined the people hovering around the testers enjoying the sweet smell of stone fruits on little toothpicks.

There is so much produce in season right now; I grabbed a few favorites to fill my mini fridge, along with some incredibly fragrant baby tomatoes that I thought would be great in a big bowl of lentils. As they delicately roast in the oven, the sweet flavor becomes more pronounced.

Ingredients

1 Cup Lentils
1 Lemon, zest and juice
1/3 Cup Goat Cheese
2 Large Shallots, peeled and sliced thin
3 Cups Baby Tomatoes
1 tbsp. Olive Oil
1/3 Cup Chives, Finely Chopped
1/3 Cup Basil, Chopped
1 tbsp. Dijon Mustard
1 tsp. Garlic Salt
Fresh Ground Pepper to taste

Instructions

Oven to 325 degrees

Note: I cook my lentils in unsalted water, as salt is said to toughen the beans -- they will taste most fresh if the seasoning is added at the end.

Cut tomatoes in half. On the baking pan, toss with 1/2 tbsp. of the olive oil and garlic salt. Turn the tomatoes so they are cut side up, and roast in the oven for 30 minutes.

Rinse and drain the lentils, pick out any scrappy pieces. In a medium pot, bring 1½ cups water to a boil, add the lentils, turn down the heat to medium, and simmer for about 20 minutes. Test the beans for doneness; the liquid should be absorbed, add more if they are not soft to your taste. Put them in a large bowl and crumble in the goat cheese so it melts in the warmth. Add the lemon zest and juice, and gently fold to coat.

While lentils are cooling, make the crispy shallots. In a small saucepan, heat up the remaining 1/2 tbsp. olive oil on medium. Add the sliced shallots and cook about 15 minutes, until they are golden brown on both sides.

Gently fold the Dijon mustard and fresh black pepper into the goat cheesy lentils. Add the basil, roasted tomatoes, and crispy shallots. Add salt to your preference.

~ Serve in a pita or butter lettuce wraps!

Total Servings: 4