Refreshing lentil salad

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 300 g lentils, brown, e.g. mountain lentils
• 2 m.-sized tomatoes, or 200 g cherry tomatoes
• 6 radishes
• 2 carrots
• 1 onion(s), red
• ½ cucumber(s)
• 3 spring onions
• 1 tbsp, heaped parsley, chopped
• 5 tbsp olive oil, high quality
• some sesame oil, from roasted sesame
• 4 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbsp agave syrup
• salt and pepper

Instructions

Working time approx. 20 minutes; Rest time approx. 3 hours; Cooking/baking time approx. 15 minutes; Total time approx. 3 hours 35 minutes

simple, vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, lactose-free, low-carb, healthy

Soak the lentils for several hours until they begin to swell. Then discard the water. Cook in fresh, salted water until tender. This can vary depending on the variety and soaking time. My experience with mountain lentils is this: soak for 3 hours, then cook for about 15 minutes. This makes them perfect. Soft, yet not mushy. Then place them in a sieve, drain well, and let them cool. Meanwhile, peel the carrots and grate them into a large bowl. Wash the tomatoes, dice them finely, and add them. Wash the radishes, halve them, and slice each half. Halve the cucumber, then cut into strips lengthwise, then into pieces, and add everything to the salad bowl. Then finely dice the onion. Mix everything well. Make the dressing: Whisk together the salt, pepper, vinegar, and agave syrup, gradually adding the olive oil. Spice it up with a few drops of sesame oil at the end. Everything can be quite spicy, as the salad will absorb some of the spice. Mix the dressing with the vegetables thoroughly. Finally, fold in the lentils, garnish with parsley, and enjoy. Tips: The salad tastes even better if it’s given some time to marinate. Season to taste beforehand. The vegetables can be varied. Bell peppers, for example, also go well with it. The dressing is also a great choice. Just experiment. Despite the low carbohydrate content, it’s filling – but tempting to keep refilling because it tastes so delicious. But you can do this with a clear conscience, because this salad is simply healthy.