Here is a super easy recipe and full of iron and protein! Perfect for a dinner on a green salad, as a snack or salad.
This is one of those salads that are simple, but good and at the same time, very appetizing, and that can be prepared with ingredients that we all have in our refrigerators and the vegetables in the season. It can be assembled in no time and is eaten just as quickly ... a significant advantage in case you have a very short lunch break ... and represents a fairly complete meal. Rather rich in vegetable protein, it does not necessarily need to be accompanied by bread or other sources of carbohydrates.
However, it must be taken into account that, because of its high fiber content, it is not the easiest salad to digest. This can be improved by soaking the lentils for several hours, grating vegetables instead of cutting them and removing the onion or mustard. Otherwise, you can also replace the olive oil with another one (walnut, hazelnut, sesame, ...) or add other ingredients (dried nuts or seeds, aromatic herbs, spices ...).
The lentils are low in calories and rich in nutrients. Eating lentils at least once a week is a great way to add to the health benefits of these tasty legumes to your diet.
Lentils are also very rich in protein. Associated with a cereal (rice, wheat ...), they bring all the amino acids necessary for our organism and can replace the meat. Source of complex carbohydrates, fiber, vitamin B9 and many minerals (iron, phosphorus, manganese, copper ...) the lentils are a satiating food.
Another health benefits of lentils: these legumes contain many antioxidants of the flavonoid family. But recent studies have shown that some of these antioxidants can help us fight bad cholesterol and lower blood triglycerides, but also slow down the growth of cancer cells in the body.
The lentil cost very little per portion, so this is an economic protein source hard to beat!
The lentils double and sometimes triple in volume after cooking: 125 ml (½ cup) of dry lentils (100 g) gives 250 to 375 ml (1 to 1 ½ cups) of cooked lentils, a good portion per person in main course . Calculate half, about 60 ml (¼ cup) dry (180 ml / ¾ cup cooked) as an accompaniment.
Try this salad, it’s very nourishing and it’s even better when the lentils are still warm.
Ingredients
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories: 214
% Daily Value*
Total Fat: 1.6g 2%
Saturated Fat: 0.2g 1%
Cholesterol: 0mg 0%
Sodium: 79mg 3%
Total Carbohydrate: 37.3g 14%
Dietary Fiber: 14.6g 52%
Total Sugars: 3g
Protein: 13.7g
Vitamin D: 0 mcg 0%
Calcium: 63 mg 5%
Iron: 5mg 30%
Potassium: 110mg 2%
Preparation:
- 1Preheat oven to 375 ° F. In a bowl, combine onion, pepper and zuccini cubes with half the olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread on baking sheet and bake for 10 to 16 minutes until tender. Put aside.
- 2The cooking of the lentils does not require prior soaking. Rinse them quickly in cold water and place them in a saucepan with 3 times their volume of cold unsalted water. Bring to a boil and cook covered for 20 to 25 minutes. Taste, drain and remove the bay leaf.
- 3If you do not digest the lentils well, blanch them by first immersing them in boiling water before cooking as directed.
- 4In large bowl, combine lentil, yogurt, Dijon mustard and the remaining olive oil. Salt and pepper.
- 5Add spinach, mix well and enjoy!
Pro Tip:
After two or three days, if the salad becomes to dry, you can add yogurt, or simply a drizzle of olive oil to bring it back alive! You can also add black olives, blanched carrots and pomegranate, to taste.
