Lentil Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette Recipe

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Ingredients

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup lentils
• 1 Tbsp red wine (optional)
• 2 cups water
• ¼ cup red wine vinegar
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 bunch chard, rinsed and chopped
• ½ head red leaf lettuce, rinsed

Sunflower Seed Crumble Topping:

• ½ cup sunflower seeds, ground
• 2 tsp sea salt
• 1-2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 Tbsp olive oil

Directions

1. Heat a large pot to medium. Saute onion and garlic (the start to many health vegan recipes) in olive oil until they are translucent.
2. Add the carrot and sauté until the carrots are slightly cooked.
3. Stir in the lentils and bay leaf, then add wine if using. Pour water into the pot and turn heat up to high to bring to a boil. Once the water is boiling, turn the heat down to a simmer and let the lentils cook for about 20-30 minutes, until they are soft but not falling apart.
4. While the lentils are cooking, whisk together red wine vinegar, olive oil and salt in a bowl and let sit to combine.
5. Next make the sunflower seed crumble topping by grinding the seeds in a coffee grinder or blender, pouring them into a bowl and adding salt and nutritional yeast. Add just enough olive oil to bring the mixture together into a crumbly texture.
6. Once the lentils have cooked, drain any excess liquid and stir in most of the red wine vinegar dressing. Set some aside to dress the lettuce. Add the chopped chard to the pot and stir it into the lentils. Allow this to stay on the heat, on low, for at least 10 minutes.
7. Tear the lettuce and toss with the remaining dressing in a large bowl. Place some lettuce on a plate, and top with the lentil mixture. Finish the plate off with a sprinkle of the sunflower seed crumble and enjoy!

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