Lukewarm lentil salad

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 500 g green lentils (Le Puy or similar)
• 3 tbsp vinegar
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp mustard, hot
• ½ orange(s), the juice
• 150 g bacon (alternatively bacon cubes)
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt
• pepper

Instructions

Working time approx. 20 minutes; Total time approx. 20 minutes

with green lentils

Cook the lentils with the bay leaf in plenty of water. They’ll be done after about 20 minutes. Drain the water and add about 2-3 tablespoons of vinegar to the lukewarm lentils. Let it stand for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, cut the bacon into fine strips and fry in a pan. It should be almost crispy. Make a vinaigrette with olive oil, a generous dollop of hot mustard, a little more vinegar, orange juice, salt, and pepper. Stir the bacon into the lentils along with the bacon. Let stand for at least another 15 minutes. Done. Serve with buttered rye bread and a full-bodied red wine. Tip: If you have some shoulder of pork or cooked ribs left over, all the better. Important: Regular plain lentils become too mushy and aren’t suitable for this. Be sure to add the vinegar to the lentils before the vinaigrette so the acid can penetrate. Otherwise, the oil will clog the pores and the flavor will remain superficial.