Sweet Lentil and Goat Cheese Salad

I have a wealth of inspiration in my Pinterest boards, so I'm making a concerted effort to try some of the many recipes and projects I've pinned. Eventually, I hope to move them off of my inspiration boards and onto "tried and true" boards, like this recipe from Baba Ganuj.

I've been craving lentils, so I kept thinking about this salad. Also, I was hosting a craft gathering Monday night and wanted to make something light, yet substantive. This dish fit the bill. It was really easy to pull together, satisfying, and very good! I've only modified the recipe to the extent that I've revised it a bit to feed a larger group of people (and use an entire bag of lentils).

Sweet Lentil and Goat Cheese Salad
(Serves 8)

For the salad:

1 16-oz. bag of lentils (puy lentils, if you can find them)
4 shallots, finely sliced (save 1 shallot for the dressing)
Pickled beets, thinly sliced, added to taste
4-6 oz. mild goat cheese
2 Tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper

For the dressing:

1 finely chopped shallot (saved from the original 4)
7 1/2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
5 teaspoons superfine sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Half of a bunch of fresh cilantro, finely chopped
5 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1. Rinse and sort through the lentils, then place them in a saucepan and cover with water (approximately 2 times more water than lentils). Cook them for 20-25 minutes, until they're cooked through but still have a bite to them. When ready, drain well.

2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix all of the ingredients for the dressing except the olive oil and set aside (add the olive oil to the other dressing ingredients just before tossing the salad).

3. Heat the olive oil over medium high heat and fry the sliced shallots until deep golden brown.

4. In a bowl, toss the lentils with the fried shallots and sliced, pickled beets. Whisk the olive oil into the salad dressing and toss with the lentils (you may not need all of the dressing). Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

5. Plate the salad, add goat cheese, then drizzle with a little more dressing, if desired.

Photo and original recipe from Baba Ganuj by Su Suk