Fruity Green Lentils Oriental Style

Lentils can be combined with pretty much everything. The combination with fruit has been on my list for a long time already. I wanted to go with pomegranate seeds that I could not dig up, however. So I tried it with the goji berries that have been lying around in my pantry for at least a year.

It was the first time that I had tried out the so-called super food goji berry. I guess it will also be the only time. Okay, they do not taste bad. And since they were organic, there is hope that they are not full of pesticides. But the next time I will rather go with pomegranate seeds that grow around the corner. Or with dried cranberries?

Do not get scared by the long list of ingredients. This fruity, hot, crunchy and fresh lentil salad does not require a lot of time and you can improvise with the ingredients if not everything can be found in the house.

Most of the calories come from the olive oil and the lentils.

Ingredients (6 servings 300 g each)

All quantities are given for the washed product without peel, seeds, and so on.

• 250 g green organic lentils (or puy lentils)
• 250 g organic cucumber
• 200 g organic red pepper (one piece)
• 175 g organic carrots
• 120 g organic ribbed celery (2 ribs)
• 120 g organic grapefruit filets (one fruit)
• 75 g dried organic goji berries (alternatively: 150 g pomegranate seeds)
• 4 EL organic blueberry jam
• one clove organic garlic
• 10 g organic ginger (ca. 2.5 cm)
• 1 tbsp ras el hanout
• 2 tsp turmeric (kurkuma)
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground fenugreek seeds
• 4 tbsp organic olive oil
• 2 tsp organic lemon juice
• 1 tsp harissa
• 1 tsp mustard
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 grated lemon peel
• 20 g fresh organic mentha leaves (a handful)
• 20 g fresh organic coriander (cilantro) with stalks (a handful)

Preparation

1. Wash the green lentils (or puy lentils if available) with cold water and remove foreign objects that are sometimes found in lentils.
2. Peel two medium-sized carrots and cut into pieces ca. 8 mm in size.
3. Heat one tbsp olive oil with one tbsp ras el hanout. Add the carrots and three to four tbsp water, sauté for four to five minutes and add to the lentils. You can mix ras el hanout yourself if you cannot find it. The internet is full of instructions.
4. Wash a cucumber, a red pepper and two ribs of celery, cut into cubes and add to the cooled down lentils.
5. Smash a clove of garlic, peel a piece of ginger and grate it and add everything to the lentils and vegetables.
6. Add the dried goji berries.
7. Add the zest of an organic lemon.
8. Fillet the grapefruit, cut into bite-sized pieces and add to the salad.
9. Season with cumin, turmeric, fenugreek, and blueberry jam.
10. Squeeze one half of a lemon.
11. Dissolve salt, mustard, and harissa in two tbsp lemon juice. Add three tbsp olive oil, whisk into an emulsion, and mix into the salad. You can always add harissa later if you are concerned about the salad becoming too hot.
12. Finely chop a handful of fresh mentha leaves and a handful of coriander (cilantro) and mix into the salad. You can use the stalks of the coriander.

Average Nutritional Information