Lupin, egg and lamb’s lettuce salad

Lupins are a legume of the chickpea, lentil and bean family, very uncommon in Spanish cuisine in general. It is known in some regions such as Murcia or Andalusia, this being the region where they are most produced and consumed as an appetizer. Very easy to find in brine, they can be used as an ideal ingredient in vegetable salads due to their high protein and mineral content. An ideal opportunity to visit the pickle store and buy a quart of chochitos, as they are known in Andalusia.

Lupin salad | Shutterstock

Ingredients of the lupin salad

• 200 g of lupins in brine
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• Lamb’s lettuce
• 6 cherry tomatoes
• 2 boiled eggs

How to make the salad

1. Remove the lupins from the jar and drain them well under the tap to remove all the brine. Peel them one by one to remove the hard skin, this will take a while.
   In a frying pan with a drizzle of hot oil over medium heat, add the well-drained lupins.
2. Sauté so that they take the flavor of the oil and add the finely chopped garlic in a mortar. Continue sautéing and once the garlic is well cooked, add the soy sauce. Remove from the heat and set aside.
3. Cook and peel the eggs. Cut them in quarters and set aside.
4. Add the desired amount of lamb’s lettuce in a serving bowl. Dress the lamb’s lettuce with oil, salt and vinegar. Add the lupins in the center as well as the eggs and tomatoes. Dress these last two ingredients on top, then serve and enjoy! This salad can be eaten with the lupins hot or cold.