Herbed Lentil Salad with Seared Radicchio and Glazed Walnuts

I was smitten with this recipe from the moment I laid eyes on it, and I think you’ll be, too.

The results are so tasty, in fact, that I hope you’ll forgive a myriad of little cheats—some agave nectar, a couple of pinches of salt, a little cooking spray—in the service of the greater good: a sweet-savory warm lentil salad bursting with fresh herbs and topped with crispy candied walnuts.

The brainchild of Chef Yotam Ottolenghi, the original “Lentils and Radicchio with Honey-Glazed Walnuts” recipe was featured in the April 2013 issue of In Style magazine. It looked fantastic, with the exception of one dirty little secret: as written in In Style, this otherwise healthy-looking salad features a full one-half cup of oil in four servings. Doing the math, that means that the oil alone in a single serving of salad is the calorie equivalent of two ¼-cup scoops of Ben and Jerry’s Chocolate Therapy ice cream.

With all due respect to oily lentils, I think I’d rather splurge on the Chocolate Therapy.

So instead of foregoing the recipe, which looked way too enticing to pass up, I decided to give it a makeover. (Who doesn’t love a makeover?) I nixed nearly all the oil (along with the cheese) and dialed back the sweetener, which actually allowed the gorgeous flavors of abundant herbs—over ½ cup each of fresh basil, dill, and parsley, along with the surprisingly mellow flavor of seared radicchio—to really shine through. I’m pretty sure your arteries will thank me, and I know your taste buds will be delighted.

In fact, Jeff and I made this salad as a Saturday-night date, and it was all I could do to eke out a few pictures before we jumped in and devoured it. It really is that good!

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Herbed Lentil Salad with Seared Radicchio and Glazed Walnuts

Author: Lee

Prep time: 1 hour 15 mins

Total time: 1 hour 15 mins

Serves: 4

This protein-packed recipe is delicious, but time-consuming. Speed things up by cooking the lentils in advance, or, better yet, recruiting a spouse or older child to act as sous-chef! Adapted from Yotam Ottolenghi’s “Lentils and Radicchio with Honey-Glazed Walnuts.” (The In Style/U.S. version doesn’t appear to be online, but you can view the U.K. version here.)

Ingredients

1¼ c green lentils
2 bay leaves
¼ c agave nectar, divided
¼ tsp ground turmeric
½ c walnuts, broken into large pieces
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
½ medium radicchio
cooking spray
⅔ c roughly chopped basil
⅔ c roughly chopped dill
⅔ c roughly chopped parsley

Directions

Preheat oven to 300°F.
Add the lentils and bay leaves to a medium saucepan with 3 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook 15 minutes, or until lentils are just tender.
While lentils are cooking, place 2 Tbsp agave nectar, turmeric, a pinch of salt, and ½ tsp water in bowl. Mix thoroughly with a fork. Add walnut pieces, toss to coat, and spread on a rimmed baking sheet covered in parchment paper. Bake for 15–20 minutes, stirring once, until walnuts are crunchy and golden brown. (No worries if they’re still a little sticky.)
Drain lentils, discard bay leaves, and return lentils to the saucepan. In a small bowl, whisk together the red wine vinegar, remaining 2 Tbsp of agave nectar, and a pinch of salt until combined. Add to the lentils and stir gently to coat.
Slice radicchio into 8 wedges, leave the core at the bottom intact to hold each wedge together. Coat a skillet with cooking spray and place over high heat until a drop of water dances when dripped onto the pan’s surface. Sear radicchio for one minute on each side, then place in a large bowl.
Add lentils and herbs to radicchio and toss gently. Serve topped with crunchy glazed walnuts.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 370 Fat: 9g Saturated fat: 1g Carbohydrates: 56g Sugar: 18g Sodium: 163mg Fiber: 20g Protein: 18g Cholesterol: 0mg