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Wilted Spinach and Green Lentil Salad

Soft slightly sweet, slightly bitter spinach leaves, with thinly sliced red onions, peppery green lentils, toasted pecans, and shaved Cheddar cheese–this wilted spinach and green lentil salad is worthy of a table-side show–you want to put it all together right before eating!

Wilted Apinach and Green Lentil Salad on white plates

Click here to PIN Wilted Spinach and Green Lentil Salad.

In a classic table-side spinach salad, a hot bacon dressing wilts the greens. Oftentimes such a salad would be garnished with a sliced hard-boiled eggs. This simple yet spectacular spinach salad is a vegetarian riff on that classic.

For crunch, we have toasted pecans. For a salty flourish, we have sharp aged cheese. Those salt and peppery lentils, well, I could eat them by the cupful.

red onion, dried lentils, pecans, and spinach, ingredients for wilted spinach salad

Even if you make it just for you and your sweetie, you want everyone waiting in anticipation. Five minutes is all it takes to lightly wilt spinach and toss this salad together.

To make wilted spinach and green lentil salad:

  • Cook the lentils until they’re just tender to your bite. Keep them warm.
  • Have all your ingredients prepped, lined up and ready–warm wilting spinach doesn’t wait.
  • First, over low heat, sauté sweet red onions in olive oil.
  • Next add the spinach and lentils. Using a pair of tongs or two spoons toss until the spinach is barely warm and both the spinach and lentils glisten with olive oil.
  • Sprinkle on a little tangy balsamic vinegar and throw in the toasted pecans.
  • Arrange on chilled plates and garnish with shavings of cheese.
  • Give it all a twist of the pepper grinder.
  • Expect awe and praise for your cooking prowess.  Popeye wouldn’t know what to think.
closeup shot of Wilted Spinach and Green Lentil Salad on a white plate

Ingredient tips:

  • I usually make this salad when there’s spinach in the garden, so with larger leaves and stems. Strip away and discard the stems and tear the leaves in half.
  • If using baby spinach leaves: Baby spinach wilts in quick seconds so remove the pan from the heat before adding the leaves.
  • I used Kerrygold “Dubliner” cheese.
  • Vegans–omit the cheese garnish.

Make it a fabulous week–get in the kitchen and toss up a simple elegant salad!

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Nutrition information is meant to be an estimate only. The numbers will vary based on the quantity consumed and any substitutions.

1 comment

  • This looks yummy! And perfect for a wintery Bay Area summer! Reply · 8 July, 2010

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