Lentil salad is one of the most classic legume salads, highly nutritious and easy to prepare, perfect for complementing with various sides like vegetables and aromatic herbs of all kinds.
Contents
How to make Lentil Salad?
As expected, preparing lentil salad starts with properly cooking the lentils without breaking them apart, soaking them beforehand if necessary, or using pre-cooked lentils available in the market.
Nutritional facts
Each serving of lentil salad contains approximately 250 kcal, 11 g of protein, 5 g of fat (1 g of saturated fat), 0 mg of cholesterol, 40 g of carbohydrates, 5 g of sugars, and 200 mg of sodium.
Homemade Lentil Salad recipe
Preparation: 20 minutes
Cooking: 40 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Ingredients
- 500 g cooked lentils
- 6 cherry tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons parsley
- 1 shallot
- ¼ red bell pepper
- ¼ green bell pepper
- ½ cup cooked carrot
- ¼ cup cucumber
- Lemon juice
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
Preparation
- In a medium pot, place the lentils, cover with cold water, add a teaspoon of salt, and heat over high until boiling. Cover and cook for about forty minutes or until the lentils are tender but not falling apart. Drain the water and cool completely at room temperature.
- In a large bowl, combine the cooked and cooled lentils, quartered cherry tomatoes, shallot, bell peppers, carrot, and cucumber. Add lemon juice and olive oil, salt, and pepper to taste, and mix everything to blend the flavors. Optionally, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
- Serve the lentil salad immediately, either alone or as a side dish to other main courses, topped with fresh chopped parsley if desired.
Additional tips
Like other salads of its kind, lentils are ideal when paired with seasonal fresh vegetables, apple cider vinegar or balsamic vinegar, meats, pastas, and other vegetarian meals.
Properties and benefits
Lentils are an excellent source of plant-based protein and are packed with fiber, making them ideal for maintaining stable energy levels and improving digestion.
Additionally, they are rich in iron, folate, and other nutrients that promote cardiovascular health and help in red blood cell formation.
Did you know?
Lentils are an excellent ally for the digestive system due to their rich fiber content, which provides a healthy feeling of fullness, making them ideal for complementing all types of diets.
