Greek Lentil Salad with Vegan Feta Cheese
Hola Familia!
I’ve been learning more and more about the health benefits of the Mediterranean Diet and how its still considered to be one of the healthiest diets today. In fact, it was ranked the #1 Best Plant-Based Diet, Best Heart-Healthy Diet, Best Diabetes Diet, Best Diet for Healthy Eating, and the Easiest Diet to Follow in 2022, according to U.S. News & World Report.
The work diet here is a tricky word because we so often associate the word diet with restrictive eating for a set amount of time. However, here its more of a lifestyle than a diet. The Mediterranean Diet reflects a way of eating that is traditional in the countries that surround the Mediterranean; Italy, Greece, Spain and Turkey. Yet, much of the health benefits of this diet are based of the traditional diet of the Greek island of Crete.
In a nutshell, here is what the Mediterranean Diet entails:
Core foods to enjoy every day: whole grains, fruits, vegetables, beans, herbs, spices, nuts and healthy fats such as olive oil.
Twice weekly servings of fish and seafood.
Moderate portions of dairy foods, eggs, and occasional poultry.
Infrequent servings of red meats and sweets.
Today, I want to share with you a tasty salad that features one of my favorite plant-based proteins, green lentils. Typically, this salad can be enjoyed with feta cheese on top, however, for those of use with a dairy intolerance (ahem, me!) I experimented with a simple tofu substitution that really impressed me. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
Ingredients:
The Lentil Salad:
1 cup green lentils (dry/ uncooked)
3 cups water
3 lightly packed cups of chopped baby spinach
½ medium red onion, chopped
⅓ cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
⅓ cup pitted and quartered Kalamata olives
⅓ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
The Dressing:
¼ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon tahini
2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon fine-grain sea salt (or Himalayan Salt)
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
The Feta "Cheese”:
1/4 pack of firm organic tofu
Pinch of sea salt
Instructions:
To cook the lentils: first, pick through the lentils and remove any debris (tiny rocks).
Pour the lentils into a fine-mesh colander and rinse under running water, and
then transfer the lentils into a medium saucepan. Add the water and bring the mixture
to a boil over medium-high heat.
Reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until
the lentils are tender (~25-35 minutes). Drain the lentils and return them to the pot to
cool for 5 minutes.
To prepare the dressing, combine all of the ingredients and whisk until
thoroughly blended. You can also add them all to a mason jar with a lid and shake to mix. Set aside.
To prepare the feta cheese, squeeze any excess water from your tofu. You can use a tofu press or just use your hands to drain as much water out as you can.
Add your tofu to a bowl, add a pink of sea salt and mix. Set aside.
Chop all of your salad ingredients.
In a medium serving bowl, combine the spinach, red onion, sun-dried tomatoes,
olives and parsley. Set aside.
Once the lentils have cooled for 5 minutes, add them to the serving bowl.
Pour all the dressing over the salad and toss until blended.
Taste, and add more salt and pepper if necessary.
Top off your salad with more sliced olives and sun dried tomatoes and sprinkle your feta “cheese”. Top it off with a piece of parsley to give it that finished look and enjoy!