About the Recipe
This is a hearty salad that could be also treated as a main dish. In fact I often make this salad for my lunch. Also, it is probably more of a winter dish than a summer salad with its crunchy vegetables and lentils which are full of fibre and protein. And thus, it also makes a fantastic post-workout meal.
*Note: I’m a big fan of cooking in batches and since this salad keeps really well in the fridge, you can easily make it using all the ingredients below and have the rest for lunch the next day. That’s what I do anyway.
Ingredients
250g of uncooked green lentils (or 1 can of green lentils, 250g when drained)
120g of pearl barley soaked overnight
150g Edamame beans
2 bell peppers (one red and one yellow if possible), chopped
A pack of crispy lettuce such as Iceberg lettuce; washed and shredded
150g Kale, steamed and shredded
To garnish: 4 spring onions, washed and thinly chopped
Dressing
4 tbsp. virgin or extra virgin olive oil
60g tahini
3 garlic cloves, crushed
Juice of two lemons
3 tbsp. of maple syrup
30g nutritional yeast
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Preparation
1. Start by cooking the pearl barley. After soaking it overnight rinse it thoroughly. Place it in a cooking pot and add twice as much water. Bring to boil and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes or until tender.
2. If using uncooked lentils, place them in a large saucepan as you need to add 3 cups of water to 1 cup of dry lentils. Bring to boil and then simmer for 20 to 25 minutes until tender.
3. In a large salad bowl mix all the dressing ingredients.
4. Add edamame beans, bell peppers, lettuce, kale and then once cooked, pearl barley and lentils.
5. Mix in 3 chopped spring onions and garnish the top with the rest.