Puy Lentil Salad With Feta Cheese

• puy lentils↗1⁄2 cup
• bay leaf↗1
• green beans, trimmed and sliced in fourths↗3⁄4 cup
• carrot, peeled and diced↗1
• stalk celery, diced↗1
• fresh cilantro, finely chopped↗2 tablespoons
• small red onion, chopped↗1
• feta, crumbled↗3 ounces
• vegetable oil↗2 tablespoons
• rice vinegar↗1 tablespoon
• sea salt↗
• fresh ground black pepper↗
• ham (diced)↗1⁄2 cup

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Place the lentils and bay leaf in a saucepan with water.

2. 2

   Bring to a boil, cover, lower the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the lentils are tender.

3. 3

   Discard the bay leaf, drain the lentils, and leave them to cool.

4. 4

   While the lentils are cooking, chop the beans, carrot and celery.

5. 5

   Put them in a steamer for about 10 minutes or blanch them in boiling water for about 1 minute- they should be crisp, crunchy and bright in colour.

6. 6

   Toss all of the cooked ingredients, along with the cilantro, onion, ham and feta, in a medium-sized bowl.

7. 7

   Whisk together the oil and rice vinegar and dress the salad.

8. 8

   Season with salt and pepper to taste.