In the Greek condiment known as tzatziki, three ingredients known for their cooling qualities — yogurt, cucumber and dill — combine forces to make for a breath of sheer freshness dolloped on anything that needs it.
From Sarah Britton’s lovely book “My New Roots” (Clarkson Potter, 2015) comes this salad of black lentils (tossed with olives, shallots and parsley), layered in a bowl with pea shoots, avocado slices and, yes, an expert version of tzatziki.
Black lentil salad with tzatziki, avocado and pea shoots
For the tzatziki:
1cup whole plain Greek-style yogurt (may substitute low-fat or nonfat)
1/2English cucumber, unpeeled
2tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2cloves garlic, minced
2tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Fine sea salt
For the salad:
1cup dried black Beluga lentils
Fine sea salt
1cup green olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
1shallot, minced
1/4cup chopped fresh parsley
2tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for optional garnish
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 organic lemon
1/2teaspoon pure maple syrup
Flesh of 2 ripe avocados, sliced, for garnish
Handful of fresh pea shoots (may substitute baby spinach leaves or arugula), for garnish
This hearty salad becomes light and springlike with the addition of Greece’s traditional yogurt-cucumber condiment and seasonal greens. You’ll have about twice as much tzatziki as you need for the salad, but you’ll be happy to have it for spreading on sandwiches or flatbread; dolloping on other salads, roasted vegetables or grains; or serving as a dip alongside olives.
Make ahead: The cooked lentils can be refrigerated for up to 1 week. The lentil mixture can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. The tzatziki needs to be refrigerated for at least 1 hour and up to 5 days before serving.
For the tzatziki: Put the yogurt in a large bowl.
Grate the cucumber into a separate bowl and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Add the squeezed cucumber to the yogurt, along with the oil, garlic, dill and lemon juice, and fold to combine; season lightly with salt. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving, to allow the flavors to combine.
For the salad: Bring the lentils and 2 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce the heat to low and cook until the lentils are tender but not mushy, 15 to 20 minutes. Halfway through the cooking, add a few pinches of salt. When the lentils are tender, drain off any excess water.
Put the lentils in a large bowl along with the olives, shallot, parsley, 2 tablespoons of oil, the lemon zest and juice and the maple syrup. Season lightly with salt, and stir to incorporate.
To serve, put a few spoonfuls of the lentil salad on each plate. Garnish each serving with slices of avocado, some pea shoots and a generous dollop of tzatziki (using about 1 cup total). Drizzle with more oil, if desired.
Makes 4 servings.
Nutrition 5/8 Per serving (with 1 cup tzatziki): 320 calories, 16g protein, 33g carbohydrates, 15g fat, 2g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 360mg sodium, 12g dietary fiber, 3g sugar.
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