Here is a vegetable box conundrum: what to do with 400 g of organic dark green chard? One good way is to stir-fry the chard with ginger, garlic, chilli and oyster sauce, finished with a touch of sesame oil. Another way would be to make a salad to avoid cooking (and washing up) at the last minute.
This salad is based on the Beluga Lentil and Artichoke Salad I made recently. It tastes good on the day it is made and also the day after, which means you can a) make it today and eat tomorrow or b) eat it today and have leftovers tomorrow.
Because it is salty and sharp with mineral overtones from the chard, this salad goes well with grilled fish. Thinking ahead towards Christmas, it will make an easy and seasonal accompaniment for leftover cold turkey meat.
For the Salad:
1 packet ready cooked Beluga lentils (250 g)
400 g chard, washed
150 g shallots, thinly sliced
2 large cloves garlic, chopped
3½ tablespoons olive oil (1½ + 2 tablespoons)
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 tablespoon Valdespino sherry vinegar (or another good-quality sherry vinegar)
1 red chilli, sliced
For the Dressing:
1 tablespoon Valdespino sherry vinegar (or another good-quality sherry vinegar)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1½ teaspoons Dijon mustard
1½ teaspoons orange blossom honey (or another floral variety)
½ teaspoon fine sea salt and a good grind of black pepper
How to Make:
Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan.
Place the shallots in a mixing bowl with 1½ tablespoons of oil and ¼ teaspoon of salt. Spread them out on a parchment-lined tray/ non-stick tray and roast in the oven for about 20 minutes, until they are soft and have browned a little. Remove from the oven, pour over the sherry vinegar, mix well and set aside to cool.
Whilst the shallots are roasting, prepare the chard. Wash the leaves and cut into 8 cm/ 3 inch pieces if the leaves are very large. If the stems are attached, cut this off and cook separately
Heat a large saucepan and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the garlic and chard stems, fry for around 1 minute then add in the chard leaves. Stir-fry until wilted. Remove from the pan. If you weigh the cooked chard, it should be around 300 g.
Place all the ingredients for the dressing in a small bowl. Mix well and set aside.
Just before serving, place the lentils, chard, shallots and chilli in a large bowl.
Pour over the dressing, mix well to combine and transfer to a large platter to serve.
Simple ingredients for this salad: chard, garlic, shallots, beluga lentils, chilli
