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Moroccan Puy Lentil, Carrot + Mint Salad

I doubt Heidi Swanson really needs any introduction. Her blog 101 Cookbooks is hugely popular, and not just among us plant-based foodies. A few years ago when I discovered blogs hers was one of the first I began to follow and her food style was a great inspiration for my own cooking. If you’re not familiar with her blog, it’s not exclusively vegan, but Heidi’s focus is on natural, whole foods and dairy and eggs are used very sparingly with vegetables as the stars of the show.  I’ve made many recipes from the blog in the past and during my time at university a friend and I shared a copy of her book Super Natural Every Day and would cook together from it and talk about “Heidi” as if we knew her personally! It’s funny how you can feel you know someone even when it’s only through cyberspace!

Moroccan Puy Lentil,Carrot + Mint Salad

This recipe is an adaptation of a fairly recent “Heidi” recipe. I had been intending to make it for a while and kept being reminded about it seeing variations on other blogs. It originally used chickpeas but if you look at my recipe index you’ll see I’ve already got various chickpea salads and my lentils were feeling a little neglected, so I opted for them instead.

I’ve talked about how, as a student who’s often short on time, I like to make a big hearty salad to eat over a few days, and this one fits the bill perfectly- the cumin dressing soaks into the beans and the flavours simply deepen after a sit in the fridge. It’s also one you can make any time of year as the simple ingredients are available all year round. Beans, carrots, dried fruit, nuts and herbs (you can just use what’s available to you- mint and parsley are particularly good in this though). Finally, it works well as a stand alone dish or served with a green vegetable, salad or a grain.

Moroccan Puy Lentil,Carrot + Mint Salad

Moroccan Puy Lentil, Carrot + Mint Salad:

(Adapted from 101 Cookbooks)

For the Salad:

1/2C Puy Lentils, dry
150g/5oz Carrots, sliced into thin coins
1/3C Prunes (or dates), roughly chopped
1/4C Fresh mint + parsley, roughly chopped

For the Dressing:

1/2T Cumin Seeds
2T Olive oil
1T Lemon juice
1/2T Agave nectar/Maple syrup
1/4t Salt
Few dashes cayenne
Lots of black pepper

To serve:

1/3C Slivered almonds, toasted
Extra fresh herbs, chopped

First cook your lentils. Follow packet instructions as they vary. I cook mine in plenty of boiling water for 25 minutes usually and drain. Leave to cool while you prepare the rest of your ingredients- chop your carrots, dried fruit and herbs.

For dressing, in a dry pan over medium heat toast the cumin seeds for a couple of minutes until they smell fragrant. Grind in a pestle and mortar or spice grinder (You could of course use pre-ground cumin but the flavour is far superior from whole cumin seeds and is worth it for this salad). In a small jar whisk together the remaining salad ingredients and add the now ground cumin seeds.

Combine the cooled lentils with the dressing, add the carrots, herbs, prunes and fresh herbs. Stir well and serve topped with toasted almonds and more herbs.

Serves 3 (or me for 3 meals!)

I’m submitting this recipe to the weekly link party, Wellness Weekends and Healthy Vegan Fridays

Are you a Heidi fan? Any favourite recipes from 101 cookbooks?

Do you feel like you “know” some bloggers despite never having met or interacted except via commenting?

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July 30, 2013 —

← Pesto-Ricotta Tofu Omelettes with Cherry Tomatoes 10-Minute (Nearly) Raw Peanut Noodles →

Comments

  1. Hannah (BitterSweet) says

    July 31, 2013 at 2:06 am

    Now this is a combination of flavors that I would have never thought would go together, but I’m very curious to give it a try… Serendipitously, I have some mint in the fridge waiting to be used, and almost all of the other ingredients on hand. I may just need to see for myself how it tastes! It sure looks healthy and tasty, at least.

    • coconutandberries says

      July 31, 2013 at 12:41 pm

      I truly recommend it. I’ve made it for family and they all loved it too. Hope you give it a go some time!

      • Minerva says

        May 30, 2016 at 7:56 pm

        I just madre this salad… put a spin on it… Instead of prunes I put dried cranberries ….. It came out
        D E L I C I O U S !!

  2. janet @ the taste space says

    July 31, 2013 at 3:17 am

    Booyah! Nice to see your lovely take on such a lovely salad. :-)

    • coconutandberries says

      July 31, 2013 at 12:42 pm

      It really was fab. And I’ve been reminded how great lentils are. More lentil recipes are in the pipeline already….

  3. elsbro says

    July 31, 2013 at 11:36 pm

    I love salads like this! It’s looks incredibly delicious - I’ll make a big batch too and eat it through the week :-)

    • coconutandberries says

      August 3, 2013 at 11:59 am

      Thanks. I hope you give this one a try :)

  4. rika@veganmiam.com says

    August 3, 2013 at 3:18 pm

    I’m not too fond of mint in lentil salads except for Thai salads, however that looks like a really delish dish for sure! And as for prunes….interesting ingredient for a salad! Prunes are like my digestive buddies, only eaten alone! x

    • coconutandberries says

      August 5, 2013 at 3:54 pm

      Haha, yes love prunes. Tasty snack too :) If you’re not keen on the idea of them in a salad dates would also work well, as would fresh coriander or parsley instead of mint.

Trackbacks

  1. Broad Bean + Roasted Garlic Dip | COCONUT AND BERRIES says:
    August 7, 2013 at 8:57 am

    […] a theme- quick, light meals I can eat for a few days in a row. I’ve shared a few recipes for satisfying bean/grain salads on the blog already- a typical lunch for me. But besides salads, and leftovers, […]

  2. D is for… | Coconut and Berries says:
    September 5, 2013 at 11:18 am

    […] too. I really like to add little bites of sweetness with fruit in salads- I used prunes in this Moroccan Puy Lentil, Carrot + Mint Salad, but chopped dates would be great too. This Lentil, Date +Tomato Salad with Chili Tahini Dressing […]

I’m Emma, a passionate vegan foodie sharing my kitchen adventures and healthy plant-based creations. Hope you stick around!

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