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Monday, November 16, 2015

Recipe: Tahini Cilantro Lentil Salad

cilantro lentil salad
One of my favourite foods is lentils. High in protein and fibre, cheap, and easy to prepare, they fit well into residency life. When I spotted a prepared lentil salad last weekend at the grocery store deli, I figured I'd have to add something similar to my lentil recipe rotation. A little Googling led me to Sue's Crushed Lentils with Tahini and Cumin recipe, which looked amazingly delicious. I think Sue intended this recipe to be served warm, but I adapted it for what I had on hand to create a cold salad. Here's what I used:
  • 2 cups uncooked lentils (mine were orange; any kind will do)
  • 1 tomato (cubed)
  • 2 carrots (peeled, cubed, microwaved for 2 min to steam)
  • 1 cup cilantro leaves (chopped)
  • scant sprinkles of garlic and onion powder (or fresh garlic and red onion if you have them)
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/8 to 1/4 cup tahini (depending on how much you like tahini)
  • sriracha (to taste)
  • lemon juice (to taste)
I washed the lentils, covered them with ~1 inch of water, brought to a boil, then simmered for around 30 minutes, until the lentils were just cooked and not yet mushy (watch them closely!). I drained the lentils, chilled them, and stirred in the rest of the ingredients.
tahini lentil salad
I've been eating this salad for a few days now -- straight up, with potatoes, and with rice. The cilantro gives it a really nice fragrance and kick, while the tahini lends a delicious savoury creaminess. I love the texture and starchy comfort-food quality of the lentils. Altogether it's a great dish -- tasty, healthy, and maybe even potluck-presentable.

1 comment:

  1. I heart you. Guess who has two bags of uncooked lentils that need a purpose in life! <3

    ReplyDelete