Cook: 1hr, 20 mins

Serves: 4-6 as a side or starter

Indecently sticky balsamic-roasted red onions, spiked with smoky chipotle honey and folded through warm lentils, along with salty, soft blue cheese to cut through the honey and crisp, electric pink or buttercup yellow bitter leaves, with fresh mint leaves for freshness and more flavour. This is a lovely little salad and makes a wonderful starter. The chipotle honey will keep well in a sterilised jam jar, stored in a cool, dark place, for several months.

Method:

Preheat the oven to 200°C fan (400°F/gas 7) and line a baking tray with foil or a silicone baking mat.
Start by making the chipotle honey. Using a pestle and mortar or small food processor, bash or blitz the garlic and salt to form a paste. Add the chipotle and honey and bash or blitz to a purée. Set aside.
To prepare the onions, arrange the onion wedges in lines on the prepared tray. Drizzle over the olive oil, balsamic vinegar and 5 tablespoons of water. Season generously with salt and pepper, cover with foil and roast in the oven for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, remove the foil and drizzle over 3 tablespoons of the chipotle honey. Toss to coat and continue to roast, uncovered, for another 10–20 minutes until the onions are looking beautifully sticky and caramelised.
Meanwhile, put the lentils into a saucepan and cover with plenty of cold, salted water. Simmer according to the packet instructions until just tender.
In a large bowl, whisk the mustard with 1 tablespoon of the chipotle honey, along with the vinegar and olive oil. Season lightly and taste, adding more honey, vinegar or salt as needed.
Arrange the bitter leaves on a large platter and scatter over all but a few tablespoons of the mint. When the lentils are cooked, drain, then, while they are still warm, add them to the bowl of dressing and toss. Add the sticky onions and toss again. Check the seasoning.
Arrange the lentils and onions over the leaves, dot with kernels of the blue cheese and finish with the last of the mint and plenty of freshly ground black pepper.

Recipe adapted from Mexican Table (Quadrille)

Instagram: @thomasinamiers

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Ingredients

Name: Sticky onion, blue cheese and bitter leaf salad with chipotle honey
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 1 min
Yield: 4-6 as a side or starter
Ingredients: For the salad:; 150g (5 ½ oz/generous ¾ cup) green lentils; 1 tsp Dijon mustard; 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar (I love apple balsamic vinegar); 3-4 tbsp olive oil; 150g (5 ½ oz) bitter leaves, such as radicchio, chicory and watercress; Handful of mint leaves, roughly chopped; 150g (5 ½ oz) blue cheese For the chipotle honey dressing:; 1 garlic clove; 1 tsp sea salt; 140g (4 ½ oz) chipotle en adobo; 75g (2 ½ oz) honey For the onions:; 4-5 red onions, each cut into 6 wedges; 2 tbsp olive oil; 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar

For the salad:
150g (5 ½ oz/generous ¾ cup) green lentils
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar (I love apple balsamic vinegar)
3-4 tbsp olive oil
150g (5 ½ oz) bitter leaves, such as radicchio, chicory and watercress
Handful of mint leaves, roughly chopped
150g (5 ½ oz) blue cheese

For the chipotle honey dressing:
1 garlic clove
1 tsp sea salt
140g (4 ½ oz) chipotle en adobo
75g (2 ½ oz) honey

For the onions:
4-5 red onions, each cut into 6 wedges
2 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar