Warm Lentil Salad Day4

 

We like the firmer texture of French green lentils in this hearty dinner salad featuring sausage and tart apples. Serve with pickled beets .

Ingredients 

• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 3 links hot or sweet turkey sausage, casings removed
• • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 cups cooked or canned (rinsed) lentils (see Tip)
  • 1 small bulb fennel, finely diced
  • 1 Granny Smith apple, finely diced
  • 2 stalks celery with leaves, finely diced
  • 6 cups arugula or mesclun greens
   

1. Whisk 3 tablespoons oil, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper in a large bowl.
2. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage; cook, stirring often and breaking up, until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Add garlic; cook 30 seconds more. Stir in lentils and heat through, about 2 minutes. Stir in 5 tablespoons of the dressing and remove from the heat. Stir in fennel, apple and celery.
3. Toss greens with the remaining dressing. Serve with the warm lentil mixture on top.

• Tip: To cook lentils, place in a saucepan, cover with at least 1 inch of water, bring to a simmer and cook until just tender, 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the type of lentil. Drain and rinse with cold water. 1 cup dry lentils = about 2½ cups cooked. Or use canned lentils: 15-ounce can = 1½ cups. Rinse canned lentils before cooking with them to reduce the sodium by about 35%.

  

Nutrition information

• Serving size: about 2¼ cups
• Per serving: 401 calories; 20 g fat(3 g sat); 11 g fiber; 32 g carbohydrates; 24 g protein; 235 mcg folate; 53 mg cholesterol; 9 g sugars; 0 g added sugars; 1,432 IU vitamin A; 18 mg vitamin C; 124 mg calcium; 5 mg iron; 817 mg sodium; 1,011 mg potassium
• Nutrition Bonus: Folate (59% daily value), Vitamin C (30% dv), Vitamin A (29% dv), Iron (28% dv)
• Carbohydrate Servings: 2
• Exchanges: 1 starch, 2 vegetable, 3 lean meat, 3 fat