In this delicious turn on a classic salad, the earthy flavor of baby lentils is the perfect complement to crisp apples and sweet pecans. But it isn’t just another delicious salad: Lentils give us great endurance, apples relax us (but with just enough tart flavor to give us some sparkle) and pecans are so packed with vitality (remember, nuts grow into trees and so have lots of energy!) that you’ll be dancing in the streets.
Lentil Waldorf Salad
Ingredients:
- 1 bay leaf
- 2/3 cup LePuy, Umbrian, or Beluga lentils, sorted and rinsed
- 1 1/4 cups spring or filtered water
- Sea salt
- 2/3 cup vegan mayonnaise substitute
- 2-3 Granny Smith apples, unpeeled, halved, cored, and diced (do not peel), tossed in 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 cup diced red onions, lightly blanched
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- Grated zest of 1 lemon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ cup walnut pieces, lightly toasted
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- Sea salt
*Makes 3-4 servings
Instructions:
Lentils
- To cook the lentils, place the bay leaf on the bottom of a pot and top with the lentils and water. Bring to a boil, uncovered.
- Add a pinch of salt. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook until lentils are tender, but not too soft—about 35 minutes.
- Season lightly again with salt and simmer 1 minute more.
- Drain and transfer to a small bowl to cool to until just warm.
Salad
- Prepare the salad by combining the cooked lentils with the apples, red onions, celery, lemon zest, nutmeg and walnuts.
- Gently stir in the vegan mayo until ingredients are well-coated. Serve warm.
Cook’s Tip: To toast walnut pieces, simply heat a dry stainless steel skillet over medium heat. Add walnuts and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl immediately to avoid burning.
Check out other delicious recipes from Christina Pirello’s new plant-based cookbook, Back to the Cutting Board.