Lentils are hugely underrated. 

Earthy, hearty, nutritious and inexpensive, lentils are the definition of bang-for-buck nutrition.  Each 3/4 cup serving packs more potassium than a banana, more folate than any other plant food, 13g of protein and the list of reasons to love your lentils goes on and on.

Plus, lentils are a cinch to prepare. Unlike most other pulses, dried lentils don’t require any soaking. Simply rinse, simmer until tender, drain, and enjoy. Oh and did you know that lentils are locally grown in Canada? True story. So let’s show some support shall we?

Lentil Salad 

The lentil salad recipe I’m sharing with you today is the perfect nod to fall and sure-to-be staple on your weeknight dinner rotation. You can serve this salad warm or cold, as a side dish or as a stand-alone meal. This lentil salad is perfect for a weeknight dinner, a lunchbox meal, a dinner party or even a potluck. And if you follow me on Instagram then you’ve seen me pair this salad with grilled salmon, which is my personal favourite way to enjoy it. But you can just as easily pair it with chicken or again, enjoy on its own.

All-in-all, I’m confident that this recipe will become a staple in your meal rotation.

Let me know in the comments below…

Are you a lentil lover? I’m excited for you to give this recipe a try. Of course, give me a shout on Instagram once you do.

Autumn Lentil Salad

2016-09-12 22:51:07

Serves 4

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Prep Time

10 min

Cook Time

20 min

Prep Time

10 min

Cook Time

20 min

For the salad

1. 1 cup dried Du Puy lentils, rinsed
2. 1 bay leaf
3. 1 apple, sliced thinly
4. 1/2 bulb fennel, sliced thinly
5. 1 carrot, shaved
6. 1/4 flat leaf parsley, chopped
7. 1/3 cup chopped pecans, toasted
8. 1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese

For the vinaigrette

1. 1 small shallot, finely diced
2. 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3. 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
4. 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
5. 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
6. 1 teaspoon sea salt
7. Freshly cracked black pepper (10 turns)

Instructions

1. Place lentils in a saucepan and cover with the water, good pinch of salt and the bay leaf. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cook the lentils until just tender, about 20 minutes. Drain the lentils in a sieve.
2. Meanwhile prepare the vinaigrette. In a small bowl or jar, combine all ingredients for the vinaigrette and whisk until emulsified.
3. In a large bowl, combine the cooked lentils, apple, fennel, carrot and parsley. Add vinaigrette and toss.
4. Top with the chopped walnuts and crumbled goat cheese and serve.

Notes

1. There are two keys to this recipe. The first is dressing the lentils while they are still warm so they soak-up as much flavour as possible. To achieve this, I prepare all the ingredients while the lentils are simmering so the salad is ready to come together once they're cooked.
2. The second key is thinly slicing the vegetables. I strongly recommend using a mandolin for the fennel. As for the carrot, a simple vegetable peeler does the trick.

Motive Nutrition https://motivenutrition.com/