Bay-Scented Lentil Salad with Pancetta

This hearty salad is good chilled or at room temperature. Dressing the salad in advance gives the lentils time to imbibe the vinaigrette. Prepare and chill in a pretty serving bowl up to a day ahead; store the cooked pancetta separately in the refrigerator. Stir the salad well, and top with pancetta just before serving.

Yield: 12 servings (serving size: 3/4 cup salad and 1 1/2 teaspoons pancetta)

Ingredients

• 2  cups  dried petite green lentils
• 2  bay leaves
• 4  ounces  pancetta, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
• 6  cups  finely chopped red cabbage
• 1/3  cup  white wine vinegar
• 2  tablespoons  Dijon mustard
• 1 1/2  teaspoons  chopped fresh rosemary
• 1  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 3  garlic cloves, minced

Preparation

Place lentils and bay leaves in a large saucepan. Cover with water to 2 inches above lentils; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 18 minutes or until tender; drain. Discard bay leaves.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pancetta; sauté 2 minutes or until browned. Remove the pancetta with a slotted spoon. Add cabbage to drippings in pan; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Combine the lentils and cabbage in a large bowl. Combine vinegar and the remaining ingredients, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle vinaigrette over lentil mixture; toss well to coat. Sprinkle with pancetta just before serving.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

169 (30% from fat)

Fat:

5.6g (sat 2g,mono 2.5g,poly 0.7g)

Protein:

8.9g

Carbohydrate:

21.1g

Fiber:

5.6g

Cholesterol:

6mg

Iron:

2.2mg

Sodium:

340mg

Calcium:

53mg