Lentils, feta cheese and pineapple chutney salad, very easy and very top recipe
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Total: 55 min Diners: 2
Many people probably associate feta cheese with Greece, but, in fact, this slightly gritty and tangy type of fresh cheese is very popular in many eastern Mediterranean countries. If you like it – because it’s one of those ingredients that you either hate it or love it – it will win you over in some chicken breasts stuffed with feta and spinach or in a peach gazpacho with feta skewers, but an alternative that will fascinate you for this cheese is to make it in the oven, lightly toasted and seasoned as in this salad today.
A legume salad whose base is some cooked and very lightly seasoned pardina lentils that will then be enhanced thanks to the delicious pineapple chutney (if you are lovers of this fruit in salty version do not miss this pineapple and cucumber salad) that will be the common thread of the whole preparation, although you could also make a mango chutney and it would be just as good.
Today’s recipe is extremely easy and is out of what we are usually used to in Spain, but follows that line so attractive that you see a lot in the United States, the Nordic countries or England with exponents like Ottolenghi (which you should follow if you do not already).
We use lentils as the base of the salad that, of course, you can buy already cooked or cook them yourself; a task that does not cost any effort and with which you will get that they are more loose and tasty because you can add some herbs, spices or seasonings to the water where they are cooked.
And then we take advantage of the pineapple chutney as a vinaigrette practically, not adding much sugar and thus taking advantage of the acidity of the pineapple with all the grace of the spices, ginger and also the poached red onion. To the feta cheese, to roast it in the oven or also to grill it, you can add the point that you like as a condiment and so you will make your “combined” dish customized to the taste of each one.
How to make lentil salad, feta cheese and pineapple chutney
Ingredients
. Diced feta cheese, 150 g Cooked pardina lentils, 200 g Baby spinach, 30 g Oregano, 1 tsp Ground black pepper, 1/4 tsp Ground black cumin, 1/4 tsp Salt, t/s Extra virgin olive oil, 3 tbsp
Pineapple chutney
Pineapple, 4 slices Purple onion, 1 pc Olive oil, 2 tablespoons Cayenne, 1 pc Cilantro balls, 1 teaspoon Pink pepper, 1 teaspoon Brown sugar, 100 g Turmeric, 1 teaspoon Fresh ginger, 1 cm
Step 1
If you are going to cook the lentils yourself, you will have to cook them in cold water, with plenty of water in the pot, salt and the spices you want. If you use a pressure cooker they will be ready in 20 minutes, but if you use a normal pot you will have to wait an hour or so. They will have to be whole, not too pasty. You will have to strain them and let them cool completely.
Step 2
Make the chutney. To do this peel the onion and chop it finely. Put it in a pot with a little oil and salt and let it poach over low heat, but not too much, to caramelize slightly. Meanwhile peel and chop the pineapple into small cubes.
Step 3
Add the spices to the chutney and also the pineapple, stirring well. Stir in the brown sugar, lower the heat and cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Then, when everything has released its liquid, uncover and let it cook for 15-30 minutes more, according to each person’s taste. Personally I prefer to use it in this salad to leave it more liquid, not too dense. Keep in mind that when it cools it becomes even more compact.
Step 4
Trout the feta cheese and dress it with the seasonings and a little oil. Bake with the oven preheated to 250 ºC for 10 minutes, or until golden brown on top. Set aside.
Step 5
Mix the spinach with the lentils and season with oil and salt. Arrange the pineapple chutney on top of the preparation, according to taste and taking care to remove the piece of ginger so that no one eats it, finishing also with the feta cheese cubes previously browned. It can be topped with some aromatic herbs if desired.
