Move over kale pesto, there’s a new kid in town. It is worth making plenty of this great little salad as the leftovers are perfect for taking to work to scoff at your desk – it is best at room temperature, so it doesn’t matter if you forget to take it out of your bag or fridge space is at a premium. Warm the dressing before tossing it through the salad to further soften the kale and ensure it clings to the beans. Then eat hot, cold or somewhere in between.
(Serves 4 for lunch)
100g dried brown or green lentils
100g dried black-eyed or haricot beans
8 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
A handful of black olives, chopped
A fistful of parsley, torn
80g kale, chopped
For the dressing:
1 fat clove of garlic, minced
1 fresh red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
130ml olive oil
1 lemon, zested and juiced
Soak the lentils and beans for at least eight hours, and preferably overnight.
Meanwhile, make your dressing – a good steeping in oil and acid will calm the chilli and garlic and meld the flavours. Put the garlic and chilli into a lidded jar and pour over the oil and some of the lemon zest and juice. Screw on the lid tightly and shake vigorously to emulsify. Unscrew, taste and adjust with more lemon, if needed.
When you’re ready to make the salad, thoroughly rinse the lentils and beans and put them in a pan of unsalted cold water. Bring to the boil, scrape off any scum and boil vigorously for 10 minutes. Reduce to a simmer and cook for a further 30 minutes, or until tender. Drain and rinse.
Meanwhile, warm the dressing in a small saucepan over a low heat.
Toss the other salad ingredients together with the pulses – there is no need to cook the kale. Add the dressing to taste and serve.
