This fibre-rich lentil salad is a great way to eat light and healthy during the summer. With a french style dressing, green beans and the crunch of fresh celery it’s a clear winner. Adding some feta cheese, prawns, smoked salmon and chicken would be a great addition! This fibre-rich lentil salad is also great for picnics – pack it in a box of off you go!
Lentils have a rich earthy texture and are great are adding thickness’/bulk to recipes such as stews and soups. Great for when winter comes around. They are also a great alternative if you’re wishing to reduce your meat consumption by either mixing lentils in with a reduced amount of meat or swapping them completely.
Lentil Health Benefits
Lentils are a great food to include in your diet regularly. They grow in pods that contain one or two lentil seeds and there are many varieties. Lentils are classified according to their colour with the most common types red, green or brown. They also come in black, yellow and orange. They can be sold whole or split into haves. Brown and green lentils retain their shape better when cooking with the other colours tending to become mushier. All lentils tend to have a dense, nutty flavour and they taste as though they are doing you some good!
They are great to add to various dishes as they are an excellent source of cholesterol-lowering fibre. They are also low in sodium (salt) and saturated fat yet high in potassium, folate (Vitamin B9) and plant chemicals called polyphenols which have antioxidant properties.
They help to manage blood sugar levels as their high fibre content prevents blood sugar levels from rising quickly after a meal.
Eating lentils two or more times a week has also been associated with a 24% reduction in breast cancer.
With such great health benefits, what’s not to try and like with this recipe!
Fibre Rich Lentil Salad
Tasty, nutritious and fibre rich to keep your digestive system working well. It's a winner of a recipe on many levels!
- Saucepan
- 1/2 cup puy lentils
- 1 tbsp extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tspn red wine vinegar
- 75 g green beans, trimmed
- 1 stalk celery, sliced
- Salt, pepper, pinch of castor sugar and a handful of flat leaf parsley
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Put the lentils in a saucepan with 3 times their weight in cold water. Bring to the boil and cook according to the packet – takes about 15-20 minutes. Cook/simmer until the lentils are tender. Drain.
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Add the oil, vinegar, lemon juice, pinch of sugar, salt and pepper to a bowl. Whisk. Add the warm lentils and mix, coating the warm lentils.
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Steam the beans until they are just tender and add with the celery and parsley to the lentil mixture. Mix and serve!