Protein, veggies, and a side of summer. This is a refreshing salad that will fill you up and nourish you. And bonus–it makes quite a bit, making for super easy leftovers! I HIGHLY recommend tossing in some feta at the end, but wanted to keep the recipe itself vegan-friendly.
Ingredients:
1.5 cups dry green or brown lentils (or 4.5 cups pre-cooked lentils)*
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp dijon mustard
2 garlic cloves, minced
2.5 teaspoons sea salt
1 English cucumber, diced
1 large red onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
3 celery stalks, diced
1 cup raisins, optional
Feta, optional
*Trader Joe’s sells pre-cooked lentils making this recipe a snap to pull together.
Directions:
1: To cook the lentils, combine 1.5 cups of lentils with 4.5 cups water. Bring to a boil in a sauce pan, and then cover. Cook until tender (about 20 minutes). Set aside to cool completely.
2: To prepare the dressing, mix the oil, vinegar, mustard, syrup, garlic, and sea salt.
3: Dice all the produce: cucumbers, onion, bell pepper, and celery.
4: Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and toss in dressing.