Lentils Salad Recipe/ Салата от Леща рецепта
Recipes Soups & Salads

Lentils Salad

Lentils salad is my new favourite thing. Long hailed by vegans for their healthy qualities, lentil products lately have been on the rise. Dried lentils are a year-round staple in my pantry, essential for rounding out salads and hearty soups in the winter months. Regardless of the season, their quick-cooking, no-soak-required nature makes them ideal for healthy weeknight meals.

I like keeping green or brown lentils in our cupboard. These cook quickly and evenly without becoming mushy and are the most versatile for our recipes. Yellow, red, and orange lentils are fantastic, but since they tend to get mushy when cooked, they are usually best added to soups and sauces rather than cooked on their own. It’s also important to buy the freshest lentils you can find and then use them within a few months. Older lentils take longer to cook and tend to shed their skins during cooking. You may also see tiny white flecks where the lentil started to sprout. They’re still tasty and entirely edible, but just not as presentation-worthy.

Winter salads could be rich in taste, vibrant in colour yet nutritious and light. Like a canvas to a painting, lentils provide a neutral foundation for a creative explosion of additional flavours – in this case, lemon juice & fresh coriander, served with half-dry tomatoes & feta cubes, carrot & ginger dip and beetroot hummus dip. Delicious, extremely easy to make and incredibly tasty and light. A true celebration of winter veggies.

Ingredients

Serves 4 people

  • 2 cups of green lentils
  • 125g feta cheese
  • 125g half-dry tomatoes
  • juice of half a lemon
  • Salt
  • black pepper
  • olive oil
  • Fresh coriander

Carrot Dip

  • 3 carrots (475g), peeled, coarsely chopped
  • 125ml water
  • 75g  tahini
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 small shallot, quartered
  • 2 dates, pitted
  • 1.5cm piece fresh ginger, peeled, sliced
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala
  • 1 teaspoon salt, plus extra to taste
  • 1/4 cup freshly chopped coriander leaves
  • 2 small beetroots
  • 1 cup cooked chickpeas
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • salt, pepper to taste
  • juice of half a lemon
  • 1/4 cup olive oil

Beetroot Dip

  • 2 small beetroots
  • 1 cup cooked chickpeas
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • salt, pepper to taste
  • juice of half a lemon
  • 1/4 cup olive oil

Method

Prepare the Lentils:
1. Boil the lentils in plenty of water until soft. Drain the water and place in a deep bowl. Season with olive oil, fresh juice of half lemon, salt and pepper. Chop fresh coriander leaves and mix well.
2. Serve with feta cubes, half-dry tomatoes and carrot & beetroot dips.
Carrot Dip:
1. Place carrots and water into blender jug and secure lid. Puree 20 – 30 seconds or until pureed. Use wand occasionally to press ingredients into blades if required
2. Add tahini, lemon juice, shallot, dates, ginger, oil, cumin, garam masala and salt. Blend 20 seconds or until smooth
3. Add coriander. Chop 5 seconds or until roughly combined, season to taste with salt.
Beetroot Dip:
1. Cook beetroot in a pot of water until fork-soft. When cooked, drain and cool down. Peel the skin off, slice the cooked beetroot and place into a food processor.
2. To the food processor, add cooked chickpeas (I used canned, pre-cooked), finely chopped garlic, salt, pepper and lemon juice. Blend until smooth and creamy, then slowly add olive oil and mix again.
3. Taste and if needed add more salt, pepper or lemon juice.

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