Serve this salad with lamb, chicken, sausages or, for a vegetarian meal, grilled bread that's been rubbed with a little garlic.
200ml extra virgin olive oil
2 medium brown onions, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 bay leaves
1 cup small green lentils
3 cups water
1 large eggplant, sliced
10 asparagus spears, stalks snapped off and cut in half
2 red capsicum, cut into 2cm-wide strips
2 red onions, cut into wedges
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 cup parsley leaves
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
Place olive oil, brown onion, garlic and bay leaves in a medium saucepan and cook gently until onions are soft, about 15 minutes. Add lentils and water and simmer until lentils are just soft. Add more water if needed but only a little at a time so lentils don't become too sloppy.
Preheat a grill or barbecue. Place eggplant, asparagus, capsicum and red onion in a bowl, drizzle with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill on each side until just cooked.
Return to bowl and toss with parsley and vinegar. Spoon lentils on to a platter and top with grilled vegetables before serving.
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