Labbits Like: Lentil Quinoa and Asparagus Salad

Pipkin is anxious for spring and fresh greens picked off the farm. Spring and summer means lots of fresh veggie dishes and fewer soups and stews. This dish is an in between: part crisp salad, part warm, comfort food carbs. All together, it's a tasty salad of warm lentils, quinoa and asparagus on a bed of arugula and radicchio, topped with toasted pine nuts. Yum! Print out the recipe here.

Om nom nom. Asparagus!

Lentil Quinoa and Asparagus Salad

Ingredients:
3/4 cup dried green lentils, rinsed well
1/2 cup dried quinoa
2" tips cut off a lb of asparagus (save the rest to make a soup!)
1/2 cup EVOO
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp grated ginger
1/4 tsp dried red pepper flakes
2 oz pine nuts, toasted
6 cups arugula and radicchio
S+P to taste
Lemon wedges (a zesty option!) 

Preparation:
Bring a quart of water to boil in a medium saucepan. Add lentils, reduce heat, cover and simmer 17 minutes. Add quinoa, cover and cook for 7 minutes. Add asparagus and cook 2 minutes or until asparagus is tender crisp. Drain and run under cold water to cool. Shake off excess water.

Meanwhile, toast the pine nuts in a small dry skillet over low-medium heat. Keep shaking the skillet to move the pine nuts around - they are full of natural oil that will cause them to burn easily. Toast until the nuts are browned and fragrant. Remove immediately from skillet to a separate dish to cool. 

Combine oil, vinegar, ginger, S+P and pepper flakes in a large bowl. Add arugula, radicchio and pine nuts and toss until evenly coated.  Transfer to serving plates, then spoon lentil mixture over leafy mix. Squeeze a lemon wedge over salad, if desired. 

Serves: 4 labbits as a main salad, 8 as a starter
Recipe adapted from Pompeian Olive Oil.