Spring Veggie, Green Lentil & Quinoa Salad

Serves 3

I don’t know about you, but after a Royal weekend of indulging in the most British of foods that I could possibly get my hands on (eating my body weight in scones & clotted cream, as well as battered fish and chips was my way of showing my patriotism), my body was literally calling out for something fresh, light and laden with vegetables.  But don’t let looks deceive you, because this salad is actually loaded with a ton of plant-based protein and is sky high in fibre too, so it will keep blood sugar levels consistent and will keep you full until dinner time.  

It is great for meal prepping because it doesn’t take long to assemble thanks to those handy pre-cooked grain and lentil pouches (seriously, what on earth did I do before I discovered those?!), and it lasts very well for several days in the fridge in an airtight container.  So it is a good option to make in advance when you know you have a busy few days coming up, or if you take your lunches with you to work.  The other thing I love about this (apart from the fact that it’s downright delicious), is the fact that you can also heat it up to serve as a great plant-based dinner or even as a side to a piece of grilled salmon.  Two meals for the price of one, now that’s my kind of food maths! Talking about food maths - one portion provides 309 calories, 14g of plant-based protein, 10g of fibre and almost a half of my daily Vitamin C requirements. 

And the dressing, Oh the wonderful dressing! I always have a big batch of zesty lemon, tahini & shallot vinaigrette to hand to add a real zing to any of my salads or crudités.  It takes 2 minutes to make but lasts for ages in a glass jar in the fridge.  Homemade dressings are just so much tastier than shop bought ones, not to mention free from additives and preservatives too.

INGREDIENTS

For the Salad

·     250g Pre-cooked Quinoa
·     150g Pre-cooked Lentils (I used Green Lentils)
·     4 Spring Onions
·     1 Large Courgette
·     200g Asparagus
·     100g Green Beans
·     100g Snap Peas
·     100g Radishes
·     Zest from 1 Lemon
·     ½ tsp Oil
·     Handful of fresh chopped herbs (I used Dill & Chives)
·     A generous handful of “crunch” (I used crunchy pre-roasted chickpeas, but any seed/nut mix or crushed croutons would work well)

For the Lemon Dressing

·     30mls (2 tbsp) Lemon Juice (approximately 1½ lemons)
·     40ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil
·     10ml (2 tsp) Apple Cider Vinegar
·     1 tbsp Shallots (finely chopped)
·     2 tsp Tahini
·     1 tsp Maple Syrup
·     Salt & fresh Black Pepper to taste

METHOD

·     Dice the courgettes, chop the spring onions and thinly slice the radishes.
·     Heat up the oil in a frying pan, and sauté the courgettes until browning slightly. Set aside.
·     In a saucepan of boiling water, boil the asparagus, green beans and snap peas just for a couple of minutes only - they still need their crunch.
·     Drain the boiling water and plunge the veggies into ice cold water for a few minutes to cool.
·     Chop them into small pieces and assemble the salad.
·     Add all of the ingredients for the dressing into a small mixing bowl and whisk to combine.
·     Drizzle the salad with the lemon vinaigrette and serve.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

Calories – 309
Protein – 14g
Carbohydrates – 42g
Fat – 6g
Fibre – 10g (41%)
Vitamin C – 49%
Vitamin A – 12%
Iron – 12%