Spanish Lentil Salad with Shrimp and Manchego
This salad is all about the lentils—be sure to check them every few minutes during the last 5 to 10 minutes of cooking to ensure they don’t overcook. They should be tender but retain their shape.
Ingredients
- 1½ cups green French lentils
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil divided
- 3 ounces dried chorizo finely chopped
- 1 yellow onion finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 stalk celery finely chopped
- 1 small fennel bulb quartered, cored, and finely chopped
- Leaves from 2 to 3 sprigs thyme chopped
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika divided
- 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar divided
- Kosher salt to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1¼ pounds large shrimp peeled and deveined
- 2 teaspoons grapeseed canola, or other neutral oil
- 2 heads frisée white and light green parts only, torn into bite-size pieces
- 4 ounces Manchego cheese shaved
Instructions
- Cook lentils according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
- Warm 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chorizo and cook until lightly seared and crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, 6 to 8 minutes. Add celery and fennel and cook until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in thyme and 1 teaspoon paprika and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in lentils and 2 teaspoons vinegar. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Add a splash of olive oil, if dry. Keep mixture warm.
- Toss shrimp with remaining 1 teaspoon paprika. Warm grapeseed oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp and cook until lightly seared and opaque, about 2 minutes per side.
- Toss frisée with remaining 2 tablespoons vinegar and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Season to taste.
- Divide lentils among 4 plates. Top with shrimp and frisée, then scatter Manchego on top. Serve immediately.
Photo Credit Lisa Monahan
Molly Shuster
Molly is a freelance food stylist, writer and recipe developer. She is one of the co-recipe editors of Gather Journal and has had her work published in various publications including Boston Magazine, Yankee Magazine, The New York Times, Food and Wine, Family Fun, The Boston Globe and Edible Vineyard, among others. Molly currently divides her time between New York and Boston.
