Growing up in Saskatchewan, I have always been a loud and proud fan of lentils seeing as they are so abundant in the province. Generally relegated to pots of soup or curries–which are delicious as well, of course–there are plenty other places that lentils can shine and this tasty winter salad is one of them.
Making sure to get a good char on the green cabbage is key here as it helps take this seemingly simple recipe to the next level umami-wise.
Roast chicken, charred cabbage and lentil salad
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a small bowl, mix together oil, 1 TBSP of the maple syrup and pepper.
Place chicken thighs in a small baking dish. Drizzle syrup mixture over top of meat and let roast in the oven until chicken is cooked through and skin is crispy, approximately 25 minutes.
Remove from oven, transfer meat to paper towel to cool and absorb any excess grease. Strain pan drippings into a small bowl and set aside for now.
Using the same baking dish, roast cabbage slices in the oven until slightly charred and tender, about 30-35 minutes.
While that’s roasting, remove chicken meat from bones and give a rough chop.
Pour the reserved pan drippings into a pot along with reserved maple syrup, vinegar, mustard and chili flakes and cook on medium heat for 5 minutes or until mixture has reduced by 1/3.
Once cabbage has roasted and cooled slightly, chop roughly and combine in a large bowl along with meat, lentils and chives.
Pour pan dripping vinaigrette overtop and toss until well-coated. Can be served slightly warm or cold, but if you’re serving cold, do not add the chicken until just before dining so the skin stays slightly crisp.
- Yield:
- Serves 5-6
- Prep Time:
- 15 minutes
- Cook Time:
- 1 hour
