Lentil Salad with Dijon Lemon Vinaigrette. Vegan. Gluten Free.

This recipe is inspired by one of my favorites from Gwyneth Paltrow’s It’s All Good cookbook.  This salad is great as a stand alone, paired up with greens in a salad (think protein source) or as a side dish to another protein.  We’ve even paired this with gf pasta and love it.  The flavors are light and summery with the citrus boost of lemon.  Also a great addition to your taco bar or for your Sunday brunch.  Think outside of the box.

Lentils are packed with nutrients critical to help you running on all cylinders.  So not only are they a wonderful source of protein they also boast…
90 percent of folate
37 percent of iron
49 percent of manganese
36 percent of phosphorus
22 percent of thiamin
21 percent of potassium
18 percent of vitamin B6

This recipe, stored in an airtight container is perfect to keep in the fridge all week long.  Hope you give this one a try!

Ingredients:

1 cup of French dark green lentils (cooking directions below)
1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard (prefer Maille)
1 tablespoon of seeded Dijon mustard
Juice from 1 lemon
Zest from half of the lemon
2 tablespoons of white wine vinegar (I prefer Colavita)
1/4 cup of olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 half of a red onion, diced
2 cups of cherry tomatoes, halved
Parsley
Chives

Optional:  I added one jalapeño for an extra kick.

Method:

I cooked my lentils in my Instant Pot.  Place lentils in the insert and cover with water (at least 1 inch over the lentils).  Seal the release.  Hit the manual button and set the time to 22 minutes.  Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes then switch over the release button to let off any remaining steam.  Cautiously remove and pour the lentils into a colander.  I run cold water over the top for 2 minutes and then let drain completely.  If you don’t have a pressure cooker, cook the lentils according to the package details.

Another tip: juice the lemon over a colander to collect the seeds that may slip past you.

Into a small mixing bowl, whisk the mustards, lemon juice and rind, vinegar, oil and salt together.

Into a larger mixing bowl, add your onions (I chop these and soak in cold water for about 10 minutes to remove some of the bitterness), tomatoes, parsley and chives. Add your vinaigrette and cooled lentils.  Give that a really good stir.  Let that sit for at least 30 minutes to soak up the flavors.  Serve & enjoy!

Enjoy!

Waited 6 days to revisit running again after running two days back to back the week prior. My knee was super tender and swollen.  By Sunday it felt great with no pain.  Ran uphill on trails and it felt great yesterday 🙂

Sunday: 5 mile trail run & 16 mile trail cycling
Monday: 60 elliptical/70 treadmill walking elevation of 8, upper body weights & core (increased all of my weights today and lessened the reps if I needed to because my form was compromised.

— Knead to Cook