Today is a good day! I made a batch of my lemony lentil taco salad, took some photos and left the salad on our dining table. I was sure my son was going to grab tortilla chips, pick a few corns kernels and sweet potatoes. But to my surprise he began eating the whole salad: kale, lemony lentils, everything. Today was the first time he said spontaneously: mom, this tastes super delicious (which almost made me cry)! So lovelies, you have to trust my picky son on this one.
When I first started eating plant-based over 4 years ago I fell in love with lentils. I hadn’t eaten them many times before, and I wasn’t familiar with their versatility. I started using them in soups, sauces and Buddha bowls. Marinating lentils opened up a whole new world of flavors. Sometimes I wanted Indian style (garam masala, lots of turmeric, cinnamon), sometimes Italian (lots of herbs like basil and parsley + tomato puree). But what became a favorite of mine is the recipe I’m sharing today.
These lentils are lemony and they’re also coated with a taco seasoning, which gives them a flavor so delicious and fun, it’s practically impossible to resist them. Today we ate these lentils with massaged kale, oven roasted sweet potato cubes, corn, chips for added crunchiness, and creamy coconut yogurt dressing. And lime, lotsa lime.
But I also eat these lentils inside wraps, with rice, or as a flavorful salad in a jar with veggies and grains. My kids love millet, so that’s what I mostly cook, but quinoa would be yummy and nourishing too.
When would be the perfect time to make this salad?
♥ First of May or Cinco de Mayo celebrations
♥ Any spring or summer picnic or brunch
♥ Whenever you feel like eating a simple plant-based vegan meal, which is easy to make and tastes fun & delicious
ENJOY!
- Salad ingredients
- 500 g or ~17 oz organic sweet potatoes
- 4 big kale leaves (+ drop of Extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice for massaging)
- net weight 175 g or ~6 oz Cooked red lentils (I used cooked lentils from Go Green)
- corn, tortilla chips, lime and unsweetened coconut yogurt or other creamy sauce of choice.
- Taco sauce
- 0,5 dl + tbsp or 0,2 cup + 2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
- 1,5 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 1,5 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp paprika
- 0,5 tsp garlic powder
- 0,5 tsp maple syrup (or sweetener of choice)
- 0,5 tsp salt
- Preheat oven to 200 C / 390 F.
- Peel sweet potato and cut into small cubes.
- Spread them evenly on a baking sheet lined with parchment and roast in the oven for about 40 minutes or until soft.
- Drain and rinse lentils and put them in a bowl.
- Mix all taco seasoning ingredients together and add about 3-4 tbsp of seasoning to the lentils. Mix well until coated.
- Cut or rip kale leaves into small pieces and put in a bowl. Add a drop of olive oil and lemon juice and massage with hands until leaves soften.
- Start assembling the salad: put massaged kale leaves in a serving dish, add roasted sweet potatoes, half of the lentils and corns.
- Serve salad with rest of the lentils, and rest of the taco sauce, tortilla chips and unsweetened coconut yogurt or other plant-based fresh sauce.
- Enjoy the fiesta!
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