Kale? In my kids’ lunch? Sure! When you give it a good massage with dressing it becomes tender and much less bitter tasting. It also won’t go soggy like more tender greens, so it can be prepared a few days in advance. The trio of apple, sweet potato, and dried cherries adds just the right amount of sweetness along with some more nutritional firepower.
Fast and furious
A shredding blade of a food processor can make quick work of the raw sweet potato.
Kale Lentil Sweet Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup (250 mL) black (beluga) lentils
- 1 Tbsp (15 mL) extra-virgin olive oil or camelina oil
- 1 lb (450 g) sweet potato, peeled and shredded
- 1 large or 2 small bunches curly leaf kale
- 1 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 large apple, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup (125 mL) dried cherries
- 1/4 cup (60 mL) extra-virgin olive oil or camelina oil
- 1/4 cup (60 mL) raw almonds
- 2 Tbsp (30 mL) maple syrup
- 2 Tbsp (30 mL) cider vinegar
- 1 shallot, chopped
- 1 garlic clove, chopped
- 2 tsp (10 mL) lemon zest
- 2 tsp (10 mL) Dijon mustard
- 1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt
- 1/4 tsp (1 mL) ground black pepper
Nutrition
Per serving:
- calories335
- protein11g
- fat10g
- saturated fat1g
- trans fat0g
- carbohydrates53g
- sugars18g
- fibre13g
- sodium150mg
Directions
01
Place lentils in medium saucepan along with 4 cups (1 L) water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and let cool.
02
Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add sweet potato and cook until tender, about 5 minutes, stirring often. Remove from pan and let cool.
03
Tear kale leaves into approximately 2 in (5 cm) pieces; place in large bowl.
04
For dressing, place oil, almonds, maple syrup, cider vinegar, shallot, garlic, lemon zest, mustard, salt, and pepper in blender container and blend until just slightly chunky. Pour dressing over kale. With clean hands, massage kale firmly for 3 minutes, or until tender and reduced in volume.
05
Add lentils, sweet potato, red bell pepper, apple, and dried cherries to bowl with kale and toss to combine.
Matthew Kadey, MSc, RD
Matthew Kadey is a dietitian, nutrition writer, and recipe developer. He is also the author of Rocket Fuel (VeloPress, 2016) and Muffin Tin Chef (Ulysses Press, 2012).
READ THIS NEXT
SEE MORE »
Turkey Enchilada Stuffed Poblano Peppers
In this enchilada riff, we stuff everything into a roasted poblano pepper shell, rather than tortillas, to pack an extra veggie serving into your meal and trim the starchy calories. If you can’t find poblanos, which are mild, dark green Mexican peppers, you can substitute green bell peppers. Flour power Made from nixtamalized corn (corn soaked in limewater), masa harina flour adds a touch of corny flavour to enchilada stuffing or a pot of chili.
Crab Cap Salad
These crab-stuffed portobello mushrooms can do double duty as a fancy starter for a casual dinner party or a light main course on any given night. Meaty and umami-rich portobellos serve as a holder for a light-tasting seafood salad. Gills begone Even though the gills of mushrooms are edible, they will darken and discolour everything they touch. Besides, after you scrape out the gills, you’ll have more room for stuffing. And don’t discard the stems; they can be saved and used when making veggie stock.
Curried Lentil Stuffed Squash
Serving saucy lentils in squash halves is a sure-fire way to elevate your plant-based menu. And, yes, the whole bowl is edible, skin and all. If desired, you can add dollops of Greek yogurt or sour cream. Spice of life Garam masala, a blend of spices traditionally used in Indian cooking, usually includes cardamom, black pepper, cloves, nutmeg, fennel, cumin, and coriander. It’s great on roasted meats and vegetables.
Kartoffelknödel Potato Dumplings Stuffed with Toasted Bread and Spinach
“Germans do potatoes in general very well,” says Canadian expat Chris Gilles, who now lives in Munich and has celebrated many an Oktoberfest there. “Knödel seem kind of rubbery. You don’t really think it’s potato when you first see it, but it’s tasty.” But he might be surprised to find that this alive -inspired version of Bavarian potato dumplings is made with a combination of potato and cauliflower, because as anyone who’s eaten cauliflower gnocchi knows, the low-carb vegetable is a great way to lighten up starch-heavy foods (and Biergarten menus). Happy Knödelfest! The original version of these snacks are so popular that it even gets its own food fest: Knödelfest, which happens in September in Austria, about a 1 1/2-hour drive from Munich. If alive threw a Knödelfest, these dumplings would definitely be on the menu, served simply as snacks with sliced radishes and fresh parsley or dill, or topped with butter, beer gravy, or mushroom sauce. The dumpling test You can test one dumpling by shaping it and then boiling it before shaping the rest. If the water is lower than a boil and it still falls apart, add more starch to the batter before shaping another ball and testing again.