Description
A quick and nutritious dish featuring protein-rich lentils and crunchy celery, enhanced with medjool dates, zesty lemon, and warm cumin.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1.75 cups cooked lentils
- 4.5 cups celery (thinly sliced on a bias)
- 8 medjool dates (pitted and sliced into 1/4-inch strips)
- 3 green onions (sliced)
- 0.66 cup slivered almonds (toasted)
- 1/4 cup pecorino cheese (shaved)
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 4 tbsp lemon juice
- 4 tsp honey
- 1 tsp cumin seeds (toasted and crushed)
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- Aleppo chili flakes (for garnish)
Instructions
- Toast the cumin seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat for about 2 minutes until fragrant.
- Transfer the cumin to a cutting board and lightly crush them with the back of a spoon.
- Toast the slivered almonds in the same skillet for 3-4 minutes until golden.
- Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, honey, and crushed cumin seeds in a small bowl.
- Slice the celery on a bias, and pit and slice the medjool dates.
- Combine the lentils, celery, dates, green onions, toasted almonds, and pecorino cheese in a large bowl.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently.
- Let the salad sit for 10-15 minutes to allow flavors to meld.
- Finish with Aleppo chili flakes before serving.
Notes
For a vegan option, leave out pecorino cheese or use a plant-based alternative. Adjust lemon juice and honey to taste.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Chilling
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 300
- Sugar: 10g
- Sodium: 350mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 35g
- Fiber: 8g
- Protein: 12g
- Cholesterol: 10mg