A recipe that checks off all the boxes for what makes a great salad. Bold flavor, refreshing crunch, creamy dressing, and packed with enough fiber and protein to keep you feeling full. I would like to share with you my red lentil salad recipe. Red lentils are accompanied by pearl barley and mixed with a variety of Mediterranean flavors. All components unite with the addition of tahini dressing. AND…Bonus points that this plant-based salad is perfect to prep ahead and will fuel you through the workday.
Yields:
4 servings
Ingredients:
- Red lentils, 1 ½ cups, cooked
- Pearl Barley, ¾ cup, cooked
- Scallion, ½ cup, sliced
- Cucumber, ½ cup, medium dice
- Red bell pepper, ½ cup, medium dice
- Grilled lemon juice, ¼ cup
- Fresh parsley, 2 tbsp., fine chop
- Fresh mint, 1 tbsp., fine chop
- Red chili flakes, 1 tsp.
- Garlic powder, 1 tsp.
- Ground cumin, ½ tsp.
- Ground coriander, ½ tsp.
- Tahini dressing, 2 tbsp.
- Salt and pepper to taste
Tahini Dressing (yields ¾ cup)
- Tahini, 3 tbsp.
- Maple syrup, 3 tbsp.
- Lemon, 2 small or 1/3 cup juice + zest
- Roasted garlic, 1 tbsp.
- Water, 2 tbsp.
- Salt to taste
What you’ll need:
- Small saucepots (x2)
- Colander
- Knife
- Cutting board
- Measuring cups / spoons
- Blender
- Grill or grill pan/plate
- Mixing bowl
- Mixing spoons
What to do:
Take the barley, rinse under cold water and drain. Pour into a small saucepot and cover with 4 times the amount of water. Add in seasoning (salt, onion powder, garlic powder, etc.) Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for 40-45 minutes.
Measure the lentils and spread out on a sheet pan or plate, discard any bad ones, then rinse and drain. Take a small saucepot and bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Add in seasonings (salt, onion powder, garlic powder, etc.) Once boiling, pour in the lentils, wait a minute or so for the pot to return back to a boil, then cover with a lid and turn off the heat. Let the lentils stand in the boiled water until water returns to room temperature. This will help avoid overcooking the lentils.
Make the tahini dressing by pouring all the dressing ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth. This can be made in advance and stored for up to 2 weeks.
Prepare the rest of the salad components. Slice the scallions, dice the cucumber and red pepper, grill the lemon then juice and chop the parsley and mint.
Once the lentil and barley are cooked through, drain out any excess water. Put into a large mixing bowl with the veg, herbs and lemon juice. Add in the spices and the tahini dressing then mix altogether. Season the red lentil salad with salt to taste and enjoy.