Mediterranean Lentil Salad with Balsamic-Tahini Dressing
Summer is made for refrigerator salads — big bowls of healthy ingredients tossed in a flavorful dressing, aka the ideal thing to graze off of throughout the week. We’ve had a big bag of brown lentils sitting in our pantry, so I decided to turn those protein-packed morsels into a light & refreshing Mediterranean Lentil Salad. I paired carrots, green onions, kalamata olives and a bunch of fresh parsley + dill with the lentils, but you could also use whatever you happen to have on hand. Red bell peppers, red onions and tomatoes would work well, too!
As good as the raw ingredients are, the dressing is what really makes this salad go from basic to beyond delicious. Creamy tahini, tangy balsamic vinegar, tart lemon juice and nutty nutritional yeast (plus a few more things) combine to create an absolutely otherworldly concoction. There’s enough here to enjoy a decent sized bowlful for about 4 or 5 days — if you’re looking for the perfect vegan #MealPrep salad, then this is 100% it!
INGREDIENTS: SALAD
4 c. cooked brown lentils
2 c. shredded carrots
4 green onions, chopped
1/2 c. chopped kalamata olives
.67 oz. fresh dill
1/4 c. flat leaf parsley
Salt & pepper, to taste
INGREDIENTS: DRESSING
1/4 c. tahini
1/4 c. balsamic vinegar
3/4 c. olive oil
Juice from 1 lemon
2 T. garlic powder
2 T. nutritional yeast
1 t. maple syrup
1 T. Dijon mustard
STEPS
1) Add all salad ingredients to a large bowl. Season well with salt & pepper and toss to combine.
2) Add all dressing ingredients to a separate bowl and whisk well.
3) Pour the dressing into the bowl with the salad and toss well to coat. Allow to refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving — this will help all the flavors marinate together. Serve the lentil salad in a bowl, on a bed of spinach or with tortilla chips for dipping.
