Get the Recipe: Autumn Lentil Salad
When cooler temperatures start to present themselves during the fall, I begin to crave heartier fresh salads like this Autumn Lentil Salad. This is truly the perfect accompaniment or side dish.
Ingredients
For the lentils:
- 1 cup brown or green lentils, rinsed and picked through (roughly 2 – 2 ½ cups cooked)
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 bay leaf
For the salad:
- 1 large crown broccoli, cut into bite size pieces (10 to 12 ounces)
- ½ medium red bell pepper, diced small
- ¼ cup red onion, diced small
- 1 medium carrot, grated
- ¼ cup cilantro leaves, loosely filled and roughly chopped (or a fresh herb of your choice)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
For the vinaigrette:
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup – grade A
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
Equipment
- 2 medium pots
Instructions
Cook the lentils:
- Fill a medium pot with 4 cups of water over medium heat. Add the lentils, salt, ground cumin, and bay leaf. Bring to a rapid boil, lower the heat to medium-low and cover the pot. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes or until the lentils are soft, but not mushy. Drain the lentils and discard or compost the bay leaf. Transfer the lentils to a large mixing bowl and set to the side to cool.
Cook the broccoli:
- Bring a separate medium pot of water to a rapid boil. Add in the broccoli and blanch it for 2 minutes or so. Drain the broccoli and place it in an ice bath to stop the cooking process. Once cooled, drain again and if you’d like for your broccoli to be in smaller pieces, transfer it to a chopping board and give it a rough chop.
Make the vinaigrette:
- Meanwhile, in small stain-resistant bowl, whisk all of the ingredients for the vinaigrette. Add the rest of your ingredients for the salad into the large mixing bowl and pour the vinaigrette over the top and lightly toss them together. Let salad marinate in dressing for 15 minutes and then serve and enjoy!
Calories: 248kcal, Carbohydrates: 18g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 19g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 13g, Sodium: 950mg, Potassium: 627mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 7g, Vitamin A: 4061IU, Vitamin C: 157mg, Calcium: 97mg, Iron: 2mg