Warm Lentil Salad with Portabellas

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup minced shallots or onion
• 1 teaspoon olive or salad oil
• 1 cup beluga or Red Chief lentils
• 3 cups fat-skimmed chicken broth
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves or dried thyme
• 4 portabella mushroom caps (5 in. wide)
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 3/4 teaspoon minced or pressed garlic
• 4 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel
• 4 cups (about 1/4 lb. total) lightly packed rinsed and crisped frisée or salad mix
• Salt and pepper

Preparation

1. 1. In a 2- to 3-quart pan over medium-high heat, stir shallots in oil until limp, about 3 minutes. Add lentils, broth, and thyme. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer just until lentils are tender to bite, about 25 minutes (6 to 8 minutes for red lentils). Drain lentils; save liquid for other uses.
2. 2. Meanwhile, trim off discolored mushroom stem ends; rinse caps well. Oven-roast mushroom caps.
3. 3. In a small bowl, mix mayonnaise, garlic, lemon juice, and lemon peel.
4. 4. Thinly slice mushroom caps. Mound frisée equally on plates; top equally with lentils, then mushroom slices. Spoon about 1 tablespoon garlic-mayonnaise mixture onto each salad. Season salads to taste with remaining garlic mayonnaise, salt, and pepper.