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This delicious vegan dish uses no dairy products. Depending on individual taste, the amounts of roasted peppers or olives may be adjusted. For testing purposes, we halved chef Coyne's cafeteria-scale original recipe.

• 1 pound lentils (we used green, but you could use red or a mix)
  
• 8 ounces jarred roasted red peppers, in 1/4-inch dice
  
• 1 cup black or Kalamata olives, sliced (we used fresh Kalamatas)
  
• 1/2 Spanish onion, in 1/4-inch dice
  
• 2 ripe tomatoes, seeded, in 1/4-inch dice
  
• 1/2 bunch Italian parsley, chopped
  
• 2 tablespoons garlic, finely minced
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
  
• 1 cup olive oil
  
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Cook the lentils in about 5 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are al dente. Drain in colander and allow to cool.

Meanwhile, chop all the vegetables and toss in a large serving bowl. When the lentils are cool, gently mix them into the vegetables.

In a small bowl or jar, combine the olive oil, vinegar, cumin and salt and pepper and blend. Pour over the lentil salad, stirring gently. Allow the flavors to mingle for about an hour before serving. Makes 10 main-course servings.

Note: Chef Coyne garnishes his salad with grilled vegetable slices.

Chatham College executive chef Rob Coyne

Thursday, May 01, 2003