Shortcut Lentil Salad
with ranch dressing

Name: Shortcut Lentil Salad
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 2 Tbsp Fresh herbs, finely chopped (any combination of parsley, chives, and dill; sub dried); 2 Tbsp Mayonnaise; 1 tsp Vinegar, white wine; 1/4 cup Sour cream (sub plain or Greek yogurt); 1/4 tsp Garlic powder; 4 Eggs; 8 oz Carrots, shredded (look for pre-shredded to save time); 2 cups Lentils, cooked (use pre-cooked lentils or if cooking from dried, use half the amount of dried and prepare according to package directions.); 3/4 tsp Salt; 1/2 tsp Garlic powder; 1/4 tsp Black pepper; 8 oz Lettuce, romaine, chopped (sub any salad greens); 1 cup Tomatoes, cherry or grape, halved; 8 oz Cucumbers, chopped; 1 Tbsp Oil, cooking; 1/4 cup Pepitas / pumpkin seeds (sub sunflower seeds)

Active: 25 Total: 25

Original GF Paleo Vegetarian

Topping fresh salads with seasoned, pre-cooked lentils is a convenience meal you can feel good about, especially when it's dressed with creamy, homemade ranch. Feel free to customize with your favorite salad toppings and any veggies you have on hand.
Smarts: Using pre-cooked lentils will make this a very quick meal, but feel free to cook them from dried if you prefer.

Ingredients

Metric

Servings:

Ranch Dressing:

Fresh herbs - 2 Tbsp , finely chopped (any combination of parsley, chives, and dill; sub dried)
Mayonnaise - 2 Tbsp
Vinegar, white wine - 1 tsp
Sour cream - 1/4 cup (sub plain or Greek yogurt)
Garlic powder - 1/4 tsp

Shortcut Lentil Salad:

Eggs - 4
Carrots - 8 oz , shredded (look for pre-shredded to save time)
Lentils, cooked - 2 cups (use pre-cooked lentils or if cooking from dried, use half the amount of dried and prepare according to package directions.)
Salt - 3/4 tsp
Garlic powder - 1/2 tsp
Black pepper - 1/4 tsp
Lettuce, romaine - 8 oz , chopped (sub any salad greens)
Tomatoes, cherry or grape - 1 cup , halved
Cucumbers - 8 oz , chopped
Oil, cooking - 1 Tbsp
Pepitas / pumpkin seeds - 1/4 cup (sub sunflower seeds)

Prep

Boil eggs - Cover eggs with cold water and some salt. Bring to a boil and then turn off heat. Let eggs sit in hot water for 11 minutes and then run in cold water for easier peeling. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
Make ranch dressing - Finely chop herbs (if using fresh). Combine herbs, mayonnaise, vinegar, sour cream, and garlic powder (portion for dressing). If dressing seems too thick, you can thin it with a small amount of milk. Season to taste with some salt and pepper. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
Carrots - If not using pre-shredded carrots, use a box grater or food processor to shred. (Can be done up to 3 days ahead)
Season lentils - Combine salt, garlic powder (portion for lentils), and pepper and stir into lentils until combined.
Lettuce / Tomatoes / Cucumbers - Prep as directed.

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Make

Peel the eggs and slice or chop them.
Heat a nonstick pan with cooking oil over medium-high heat. Add lentils to heated oil and saute until fragrant and warmed through - 3 to 4 minutes.
If dressing was made ahead, give it a stir.
Assemble salads by forming a bed of lettuce on each serving plate. Layer eggs, tomatoes, cucumbers, and carrots over top of lettuce.
Top salads with lentils and drizzle with dressing until dressed to your liking. Sprinkle pepitas on top. Enjoy!

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Shortcut Lentil Salad with ranch dressing