Make extra pepperoncini dressing to pep up any other vegetable dishes you might be eating

By Laura Brehaut   –   National Post

Our cookbook of the week is The First Mess Cookbook: Vibrant Plant-Based Recipes to Eat Well Through the Seasons, by Southern Ontario-based writer and photographer Laura Wright. Throughout the week, we’ll feature recipes from the book and an interview with its author.

To try another recipe from the book, check out vanilla corn cake with roasted strawberries and farro and pine nut chard rolls.

You’ll never look at a jar of pickles the same way after trying this recipe. Often overlooked, pickle juice has a lot to offer — just a splash offers acidity and spice. Author Laura Wright employs both pepperoncini peppers and their pickling liquid in the dressing for this fresh, crunchy salad.

“I make that dressing all the time, separate from the salad, to put on whatever I’m eating. It’s really good,” Wright says of the cumin-spiced vinaigrette. Once you’ve made the dressing, the salad comes together with minimal effort: cooked lentils; sliced bell pepper, onion and celery; and chopped flat-leaf parsley.

While you’ve got that jar of pepperoncini peppers open, add a touch of the brine to your Caesar or michelada. Try a splash in potato salad, use it instead of vinegar in gazpacho or add a shot to marinades and store-bought sauces.

PEPPERONCINI LENTIL CRUNCH SALAD
Serves: 6 to 8 | Gluten-free, nut-free and cane sugar-free

Dressing:
4 pepperoncini peppers, stems removed (plus extra for serving)
2 tbsp (30 mL) pepperoncini pickling liquid
1 tbsp (15 mL) white wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, chopped
½ tsp (2 mL) ground cumin
½ tsp (2 mL) pure maple syrup
¼ cup (50 mL) virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste

Salad:
2 cups (500 mL) French or black beluga lentils, rinsed
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 stalk celery, thinly sliced
½ cup (125 mL) roughly chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Step 1

Make the dressing: Combine the pepperoncini peppers, pepperoncini pickling liquid, white wine vinegar, garlic, ground cumin, maple syrup, olive oil, salt and pepper in a blender and whiz on high until you have a creamy and smooth mixture. Set aside.

Step 2

Make the salad: Fill a medium saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Drop the lentils into the water with a big pinch of salt, and cook until just tender, about 20 minutes. Rinse the lentils with cold water and transfer them to a large bowl.

Step 3

To the bowl, add the bell peppers, onions, celery and parsley. Season the salad with salt and pepper, and toss to combine.

Step 4

Pour the dressing over the salad, and toss to combine once more. Serve the salad immediately to preserve the crunch of the vegetables, with extra pepperoncini peppers on the side.