When I was shopping at the local health food store the other day, I noticed a package of black beluga lentils and was quite intrigued. I am not a huge fan of lentils, but I just thought they were so cute and would look pretty when plated with some colorful veggies. They are easy to prepare, have a mild flavor and are packed with vitamin B and protein. For the dressing, I used Shiri Zimmerman’s tomato salad dressing recipe with some minor changes (she’s my sister-in-law and fellow lentil lover). The salad turned out to be a huge hit when we served it at her home in Deal, NJ, and is something that will definitely make multiple appearances over the spring and summer.
Tomato Salad Ingredients:
- 2 cloves garlic pressed
- 1 tsp coconut palm sugar (lower glycemic index then white refined sugar- basically it doesn’t cause the sugar highs and lows that refined sugar is guilty of doing. It provides a slower release of energy. Measure it just like sugar 1:1 ratio.)
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 tbsp white vinegar
- 1 pint yellow and red grape tomatoes halved
Instructions
- In a small jar whisk all ingredients together (except tomatoes).
- Place tomatoes in dressing and let sit while you prepare the rest of the salad- this allows it to absorb all the delicious flavors of the dressing.
Asparagus Ingredients:
- 1 Bunch Asparagus rinsed
- 3 Cups Water
- 1/4 Teaspoon Salt
Asparagus Instructions:
- Place water and salt in a pot and bring to boil
- Trim off the tough end of the asparagus (Tip: Take 1 asparagus stalk and snap off the tough end where it naturally breaks. Place all asparagus together and use the broken asparagus as a guide for where to cut the rest). Discard the tough white end.
- Place Asparagus in boiling water and cook for 5-8 minutes, or until tender.
- Once tender remove immediately plunge into bowl of ice water
Black Beluga Lentils Ingredients & Recipe:
I just followed the package instructions for this…
- Sort and rinse 1 cup lentils. Place in pot. Add 3 cups water. Bring to boil and simmer 15-20 minutes, or until tender.
Garnish with Parsley (as always I need my fresh herb fix) and plate to your liking. The first time I served this I placed the beluga lentils on a plate. Topped neatly with asparagus and then with tomatoes soaked in dressing. I then drizzled the remainder of the dressing over the dish (as pictured below). The second time I made this dish I cut the asparagus into about 1 inch pieces and mixed all ingredients in a bowl and served as a salad for lunch at Shiri’s house (as pictured above). It was a big hit!
Health points: Beluga lentils are packed with fiber and protein. Asparagus is loaded with folate, vitamins A,C,E,K, and antioxidants.
xoxo almost caviar lovers
Love the black lentil and asparagus salad! Please bring it to work!
haha I will make it one thursday night and bring for our Family Friday Lunch
Can’t wait to make the lentil salad !!
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mmmm…im gonna have to try this. Been sooooo busy with school, but soon I will get back into things 🙂
I miss your blog posts- come back! Home school is going well
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