When you’re really hungry, just having a salad can be risky. While fresh and nutritious, many salads lack the fiber, protein, and fat that will keep you satisfied until your next meal. The challenge of building a hearty and filling salad can be especially tricky if you eat a plant-based diet. Enter: this lentil beet salad.

THE BRIGHT LENTIL BEET SALAD

This lentil beet salad challenges the notion that salads have to be chock full of leafy greens. French lentils, beets, cucumber, mint leaves, and pine nuts, along with a zippy vinaigrette, combine to create a fresh and flavorful salad that will leave your taste buds and hunger level satisfied. Mint can help with digestion and bloating. Beets have so many benefits, including vitamin C and vitamin B and magnesium. Just don’t forget that you ate them!

Serves 2

Ingredients:

1 cup French lentils, sorted and rinsed
2 small golden beets, trimmed
2 small red beets, trimmed
½ cucumber
¼ cup pine nuts
Small handful of fresh mint leaves

For the dressing:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 ½ tablespoons golden balsamic vinegar
½ teaspoon garlic, minced
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
Pinch of sea salt and black pepper

Directions:

Combine the French lentils with 2½ cups of water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until the lentils are tender about 25 minutes. Drain and rinse the lentils with cool water and return to the saucepan.

Meanwhile, steam the beets. Fill a pot with an inch of water and fit with a steamer basket. Slice the beets into ½-inch wedges and arrange them in a single layer. Cover and cook until beets are just fork tender. When cool enough to handle, gently peel the skin off the beets.

Slice the cucumber in half lengthwise and use a spoon to scrape out the seeds. Slice the cucumber into ½-inch half moons.

To make the dressing, combine the olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, garlic, dijon mustard, and salt and pepper in a small bowl. Whisk to combine and adjust flavors to taste. Pour some over the lentils and toss to coat.

To assemble, add a scoop of lentils to each plate. Top with beets, cucumber, pine nuts, and mint leaves. Drizzle with the rest of the dressing and serve.

Recipe and photography by  Kate Kasbee

https://blog.cleanprogram.com/lentil-beet-salad/