1 ½teaspoonsoft brown sugar, or sweetener of your choice
½teaspoonground black pepper
¼teaspoonsalt
For the salad:
4slicesstale ciabatta or other crusty bread, cubed (approximately 125g)
1tablespoonextra virgin olive oil
½cupgreen lentils
1teaspoonextra virgin olive oil
3capsicums, (peppers, any colour), cut into chunks
1clovegarlic, crushed or finely grated
1small red onion, thinly sliced
2-3ripe tomatoes, cut into chunks
Large handful of fresh basil leaves, (approximately 1 cup)
1tablespooncapers, roughly chopped
Instructions
For the dressing:
Put all dressing ingredients into a small jar or container with a lid. Shake until well combined.
For the salad:
Preheat oven to 200C (390F).
Put cubed bread on a baking sheet and drizzle with 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil. Toss the bread and make sure all pieces are coated in oil. Bake for 5-10 minutes or until firm and crisp, but not overly browned. Remove from oven and set aside.
Put lentils into a large saucepan and cover with a few inches of cold water. Bring to a boil, turn heat down to simmer and cook lentils for about 20 minutes, or until cooked but still a little firm and holding their shape. Drain and set aside to cool.
While the lentils are cooking, heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a frypan (skillet) and add chopped capsicums. Cook over a low-medium heat for about 10 minutes or until the capsicums have softened and are browned in spots. Add crushed garlic and stir to cook for a further minute.
Put all salad ingredients except for the basil into a large mixing bowl, pour over the dressing and stir well to combine.
Toss through the basil leaves just before serving.