Puy Lentil Salad with Strawberry and Asparagus

Some of my most favorite things to eat are seasonal soups and salads. I first prepared this salad last year for a trail committee celebration and it was a big hit. It's colorful and delicious, made with lentils and spring time vegetables. The maple syrup in the dressing adds a sweetness to this dish that brings it all together. Recipe is from the blog Green Kitchen Stories. In their recipe they also used rhubarb, everything else is pretty much the same.

Ingredients:

For salad:

1 cup puy lentils
1 small pint of strawberries (sliced)
1 small pint of cherry tomatoes (halved)
1/2 pound asparagus (cut into approx 1 inch pieces)
About 15 basil leaves
Feta cheese (enough to crumble on top)
Salt and pepper to taste

For dressing:

3 tablespoons of maple syrup
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 lemon juiced
Salt and pepper to taste

To prepare:

Rinse, then cook lentils in about 2 cups of water, bring to a boil. Simmer about 30 minutes, until tender, drain water, salt and then cool. Prepare asparagus by cleaning, cutting then dropping in boiling water for about 2 to 3 min. Remove immediately, drop in ice water bath. You want stalks to still be a little crisp. Cut up your tomatoes and strawberries. Add all the ingredients together, rough chop your basil then add. Prepare your dressing and then add. Refrigerate. When ready to serve add your feta.Enjoy!