Lentil Salad with Pomegranate and Orange Dressing

Delicious summer salad with fresh locally sourced ingredients! Wondering why our pomegranate seeds aren't vibrant red? No, we didn't use unripe fruit. There are actually 2 varieties of pomegranates, one is light pink (the ones we have here) and the other are deep red. Both taste the same and have a similar nutritional profile! But the bright red ones are imported and the light pink are a variety that grows here! A decision easily made... pink and local for me, please!

Oh and a quick tip, when you cook soak and cook beans or lentils, cook a bigger batch and freeze in portions for later use! Saves you a lot of time and it also helps to eliminate yet another processed food/can from your diet!

Ingredients (serves 2)

For the salad

1.5 cup cooked adzuki/mung beans or lentils, we used a mix of mung and adzuki beans (1 cup dried makes about 1.5 cup cooked)
1 cup shredded red cabbage chopped
2-3 cups torn salad greens of your choice
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
1/4 cup raw unsalted cashew nuts, raw or roasted

For the dressing

1/2 orange, juice only
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Black pepper and sea salt to taste

Directions

1. Optional: soak beans or lentils a few hours before cooking (6-8 hours). Soaking allows the dried beans or lentils to absorb water, which shortens cooking time and aids in digestibility. They will nearly triple in size, so make sure to soak them in enough water.
2. Cook lentils/beans until tender. This will take 15-30 minutes, depending on how long you soaked them. Allow to cool.
3. Meanwhile, add all dressing ingredients to a bowl and whisk well until combined.
4. Combine salad ingredients, toss to combine and drizzle with dressing. Top with raw or roasted cashew nuts.

Bon appetit!

ALL CONTENT IS MINE AND ORIGINAL!
PICTURE(s) TAKEN WITH FUJI X-M1

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