Description
Enjoy this gluten-free, protein-packed vegan lentil salad with tempeh. Eat it warm, or enjoy it cold. It makes a great main meal or on the side of other dishes. The options are endless!
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry brown lentils,* soaked for at least 8 hours
- ¼ cup rice bran oil (use half to bake beetroots & to fry tempeh)
- 4 small / 550g / 1.21 pounds beetroots, peeled and cut into wedges
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 250g / 8.82 ounces green beans, trimmed and halved
- 150g / 5.29 ounces pre-marinated tempeh, chopped into cubes
- 85g / 3 ounces baby spinach
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped or minced
Dressing:
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celcius / 390 degrees Fahrenheit fan-forced and lightly grease a baking tray. Set aside.
- Wash the soaked lentils and add them to a saucepan along with 3 cups / 750ml of water and bring it to a rapid simmer on medium-high heat. Then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Cook, uncovered, for 20-30 minutes. Lentils are cooked as soon as they are tender and no longer crunchy.
- Once cooked, strain the lentils and give them a quick rinse. Return them to the saucepan and stir in a good pinch of salt.
- While the lentils are simmering, toss the beetroot with 2 tablespoons of the oil and salt. Place them on the baking tray we prepared earlier and place them in the oven for 20 minutes.
- While the beetroot is baking, place the beans in a saucepan of boiling water for 8 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process. Set aside.
- In a frying pan on medium-high heat, add the other 2 tablespoons of oil, add the tempeh and fry on each side for 1-2 minutes until it starts to crisp up and brown a little.
- Add in the garlic and baby spinach and cook for another minute. Take off heat and set aside.
- Make the dressing as per the recipe.
- Combine the cooked lentils, beetroot, beans, tempeh with garlic and spinach, and the dressing all in a bowl. Toss well and serve.
Notes
Lentils: If you don’t have dry brown lentils, use 3 cups / 500g of cooked lentils from a can. They are softer than home-cooked lentils, so keep in mind it will slightly change the salad’s texture. Drain and rinse them before using.