Black lentil, chicory and pomegranate salad

Method

These lentils start life in fine spooky form, a glistening witch-black and then, after a spell in the cauldron, morph to a greenish grey. And this is a very healthy salad, which is probably the spookiest thing about it for the under-tens.

1 Bring a large pan of water to the boil, add the lentils and simmer for about 20 minutes or until tender. Drain into a sieve, briefly rinse under the cold tap and shake free of water, then tip into a serving dish and toss with the oil, lemon juice, orange zest and plenty of seasoning. Leave to cool.

2 Shortly before serving the salad, halve the chicory heads lengthways and finely slice. Mix into the lentils along with the sliced spring onions, 4 tablespoons of the chopped parsley and half of the pomegranate seeds. Scatter with the remaining parsley and seeds.