Beluga Lentil Salad

Salad Ingredients

  • 1 Bag of Beluga Lentils
  • Pumpkin or Pepita Seeds
  • 1 Cup of Diced Carrots
  • 1 Medium Diced Kirby Cucumber
  • 1/4 - 1/2 of a cup of Chopped Purple Onion
  • 1 Tbsp Minced Garlic

Dressing Ingredients

  • 1/4 Cup of Grapeseed oil or EVOO (I prefer Grapeseed for dressings)
  • 1/4 Cup of Red Wine Vinegar
  • 2 Tbsp of Fresh Lemon Juice
  • 1/4 Tsp Coarse Salt
  • 1/4 Tsp Pepper
  • 1/4 Tsp Golden Light Agave
  • 1/2 Tsp Dried or Fresh Dill

Step 1

Start cooking your Beluga lentils. Follow the 1 cup of beans to 4 cups of water ratio for this recipe. You will have leftover lentils, but do not cook the entire bag. Save for another meal prep day.

Step 2

While your Beluga lentils are cooking, start toasting your pumpkin or pepita seeds in a small frying pan. Toast the seeds just until you start to hear a popping, hissing sound and the edges of the seeds start turning an earthy brown color. That is your cue that the toasting process is just about done. Set aside seeds to cool.

Step 3

Start chopping your veggies (this is a great moment for my Choppin' Calories Blast). Once chopped, combine these ingredients in a separate bowl: 1 cup of diced carrots, 1 medium diced Kirby cucumber, 1/4 or 1/2 of a cup of chopped purple onion, 1 tbsp of minced garlic. Give them all a good stir and set aside for the lentils and toasted pumpkin seeds.

Step 4

Once your lentils have cooled, add them to the rest of the veggie party. Pour half of your dressing over the lentil salad, toss, mix, stir (whichever action verb you prefer). 

Step 5

Lastly, add your toasted pumpkin seeds and mix, just enough so that it looks pretty. 

Pro Tip: You can add more of your dressing if need be. I like to store this salad in a glass container overnight. Personally, I like to save some of the dressing for the next day. There is something to be said about letting this salad marinate overnight so that the flavors really come together nicely. Saving a little extra dressing for the next day really gives it a zing that wakes up the chilled lentil salad and screams, "I AM READY TO PARTAYYYY”.