Lentil Salad w/ Chicken & Ceci



There is a great cafe on Sullivan St. in NYC called Once Upon a Tart.
They make great sandwiches, salads, tarts and delicious cookies.



Their most popular selling lunchtime salad is their chickpea & lentil salad with a sundried tomato vinaigrette. It is delicious. You just feel healthier after eating it.

Well, I made my own version of this salad, using their recipe for the vinaigrette and throwing in some leftover grilled chicken. It was a delicious and filling lunch.
And good for you! I know you don't want to hear that!



Lentils with Chickpeas & Chicken Salad:

1 cup of cooked Beluga lentils
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cucumber, peeled and diced small
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 roasted red pepper
1/4 cup of fresh torn basil
15 oz. can of drained and rinsed ceci (chickpeas)

leftover sliced grilled chicken breasts (optional)
3 tbsp of sundried tomato vinaigrette (recipe to follow)



Sundried Tomato Vinaigrette (adapted from Once Upon a Tart Cookbook)

12 sundried tomato halves
1/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese
1 garlic clove
1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup of fresh basil leaves

1/2 cup or more of olive oil

Using a food processor, pulse the dressing ingredients together, adding the olive oil last thru the feed tube until you get the consistency you like. (*This is like a pesto and makes a lot. The flavors are very concentrated, so add olive oil as needed).

Add all of your salad ingredients in a large bowl and toss with about 3 tbsp of this thick dressing. Add oil to thin it.

Add your chicken slices in at the end and toss another turn until coated.
Garnish with fresh basil leaves!



Enjoy!

Comments

Ciao Chow Linda said…
That salad looks delicious and healthy. I didn't know that place had a cookbook.
The JR said…
Stacy, love the picture of the ingredients on the plate. So pretty. This sounds good, except I don't use lentils. Was thinking of substituting black beans cause I always have them on hand. Would have to add meat (chicken is fine) or the hubby won't eat it.

Looks great.
Ramona
kat said…
That looks really good despite being good for you ;)
Dana said…
I make a salad that features lentils, chickpeas, and bulghur that is one of my favorites. This dressing looks amazing and totally different than mine. I could eat something like this (minus the chicken) everyday.
noble pig said…
Okay, that dressing is going to grace my table...thank you Stacy!
Foodiewife said…
Muuuuuwaaaaaaaaah! I am kissing you, on the cheek, for that vinaigrette. I love sun-dried tomatoes and I have an industrial sized jar of them from Costco. Yippee! Beautiful salad!
NY Wolve said…
That sounds wonderful.
theUngourmet said…
What a nice fresh salad! I love the vibrant colors! I don't think I have tried Beluga lentils.
Maria said…
What a fantastic salad!
Millionaire said…
healthy and wonderful salad!!
Kate said…
What a great meal! The dressing sounds like it would be good on everything from the grilled chicken, to grilled fish to dipping No Knead bread,
Thanks for a great blog read!
I pretty much want everything you make! I love those teeny lentil's. Did you know TJ's sells them cooked in the bag in their veggie isle? Quick and easy!
jola said…
I had all the ingredients on hand to make this (including lentils I didn't know what to do with; long-forgotten sundried tomatoes; fresh cukes from the garden, etc., etc.), and so I did. Absolutely delicious! A welcome addition to my summer salad repertoire. I enjoy your blog, and appreciate your creative takes on local seasonal ingredients. Another recipe of yours that my husband and I both love is the pasta with crumbled sausage and broccoli rabe - I make it all the time now. Thanks!
Karen said…
The viniagrette sounds wonderful!
Virgie's Place said…
This is one delicious vinaigrette. I used it to marinate portobello mushrooms and then grilled them. OH SO GOOD!