Lentils with Fried Bread Crumbs and Mozzarella

Lentils make for such a delicious chilled marinated salad. We like to cook them with a mix of carrots, onions, and celery and some herbs like bay leaves and thyme. For this dish, it’s important to make sure there’s plenty of water during the cooking process. Cooking the lentils in too little water crowds them, which has a tendency to create mushy, overcooked lentils. Sometimes that can be fine, too. We’re into slightly overcooked lentils with chorizo and lots of olive oil. But for a salad,