Lemony Lentil and Chickpea Salad with Radish and Herbs — The Salad That Tastes Like April

Brewers are off to a hot start. Fourteen and nine through the first three weeks. Yelich is hitting like a man possessed and the whole city is buzzing with that early-season optimism that Milwaukee does better than anyone — the kind where you know, deep down, that September will probably break your heart, but April doesn't care about September. Dad and I went to the home opener last Tuesday. Standing room only. I bought him a beer and a brat and we stood in the upper deck and watched Christian Yelich hit a double to left-center and Dad pumped his fist like he was twenty-five again. These are the moments. These are the ones I want to keep. At the brewery, the Helen's Wheat test batch is scheduled for next week. I've been finalizing the recipe — a wheat ale base with local honey from a small apiary in Cedarburg, a touch of rye malt for depth, and a restrained hop profile that lets the honey and grain speak. I want it to taste like Wisconsin. Like hay fields and wildflowers and the warm bread smell of Babcia's kitchen. That's probably too much to ask of a beer, but I'm asking anyway. Mrs. Wojcik invited me to a special event at the Polish Center — a celebration of Dyngus Day, the Polish post-Easter tradition. It's basically a party where people splash each other with water and hit each other with pussy willow branches. It sounds insane because it is insane. But Mrs. Wojcik's crew made eight hundred pierogi for the event, and she wanted me there to help. I spent Saturday morning making pierogi alongside six Polish grandmothers who critiqued my technique with the loving brutality that only Polish grandmothers can deliver. "Too thick, Jakub." "More filling." "Pinch harder or they'll open in the water." I loved every second of it. One of the women — Mrs. Grabowski, who must be eighty-five — pulled me aside during a break and said, "Your Babcia told me about you. She said you had the hands." I didn't know what that meant. Mrs. Grabowski held up her own hands — small, gnarled, flour-dusted — and said, "The hands that know dough. Not everyone has them. Helen knew you did." I excused myself to the bathroom and sat on the floor for five minutes. I made something lighter this week — a spring salad with asparagus, radishes, and a buttermilk dressing. I know. Me. A salad. But spring does something to you in Wisconsin — after six months of gray and cold and heavy food, you crave green things. I roasted the asparagus, sliced the radishes thin, and made a dressing with buttermilk, dill, lemon, and garlic. It was bright and fresh and tasted like April. I also ate a bratwurst afterward because I'm not a monster.

After a week of Dyngus Day pierogi, home openers, and Mrs. Grabowski making me cry in a bathroom at the Polish Center, I needed something that tasted like a deep breath. This salad was it — bright lemon, crisp radishes, fresh herbs, the kind of bowl that reminds you spring is actually here and not just teasing. It pairs perfectly with that first warm evening where you eat on the porch and pretend winter never happened. I served it alongside roasted asparagus with a buttermilk dill dressing, and honestly, the whole plate tasted like April feels when you’ve earned it.

Lemony Lentil and Chickpea Salad with Radish and Herbs

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 25 minutes | Total Time: 40 minutes | Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1 cup green or brown lentils, rinsed
• 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 6 radishes, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup fresh dill, roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 1 large lemon)
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 small clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (optional)

Instructions

1. Cook the lentils. Bring lentils and 3 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until tender but not mushy, about 20–25 minutes. Drain any excess water and let cool to room temperature.
2. Make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, minced garlic, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper until emulsified.
3. Assemble the salad. In a large bowl, combine the cooled lentils, chickpeas, sliced radishes, dill, parsley, and scallions. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently to coat.
4. Season and serve. Taste and adjust salt and lemon juice as needed. Top with crumbled feta if using. Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled. The salad keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 340 | Protein: 18g | Fat: 14g | Carbs: 38g | Fiber: 12g | Sodium: 380mg