I'm all about the make ahead. Especially when I'm entertaining (though that's not really a think anymore thanks to quarantine), but even when it's just me and Ryan, I like the work, and more importantly, the mess, to be out of the way long before mealtime. Come time to eat, I can be cool as a cucumber sipping on my wine rather than a whirling dervish in the kitchen. And, as is often the case with make ahead dishes, these salads taste even better 2-3 days later.
The Lemony Lentil Quinoa Tabbouleh is a protein rich take on the traditional Levantine dish that incorporates plenty of fresh mint, parsley, cucumbers, and tomatoes. The Herbed Cannellini Bean Artichoke Salad is herbacious and flavor forward - it would be great by itself, but it would also go well as a topping for warm couscous. Both salads would be perfect for a summer picnic at the beach or in a park. Add some hummus and pita chips and some crisp white wine and you have the makings for an easy but luxurious meal al fresco.
Here are the recipes.
The Lemony Lentil Quinoa Tabbouleh is a protein rich take on the traditional Levantine dish that incorporates plenty of fresh mint, parsley, cucumbers, and tomatoes. The Herbed Cannellini Bean Artichoke Salad is herbacious and flavor forward - it would be great by itself, but it would also go well as a topping for warm couscous. Both salads would be perfect for a summer picnic at the beach or in a park. Add some hummus and pita chips and some crisp white wine and you have the makings for an easy but luxurious meal al fresco.
Here are the recipes.
Lemony
Lentil Quinoa Tabbouleh
Ingredients
1 cup dried
green lentils, rinsed well
2 bay
leaves
Sea salt
2 cups
cooked quinoa, cooled to room temperature
1 ½ tablespoons
cumin
1 ½ teaspoons
coriander
1 generous
pinch of cinnamon
¼ cup fresh
lemon juice
¼ cup olive
oil
3
tablespoons grated lemon zest (about 1 lemon’s worth)
1 cup
flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 cup fresh
mint, chopped
2 small
cucumbers, diced
1 cup
cherry tomatoes, halved
Salt and
pepper, to taste
Method
Place the lentils, the bay leaves, and ¼ teaspoon salt in a saucepan. Cover with water by 2 inches and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes or until the lentils are tender. Drain lentils and discard the bay leaves. Set aside until at room temperature.
Place the lentils, the bay leaves, and ¼ teaspoon salt in a saucepan. Cover with water by 2 inches and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes or until the lentils are tender. Drain lentils and discard the bay leaves. Set aside until at room temperature.
In a large
bowl, toss the quinoa, the room-temp lentils, the spices, the olive oil, and the
lemon juice. Let the mixture sit while you chop and prep the other ingredients.
Add the
fresh herbs, the cucumbers, and the tomatoes. Toss to fully incorporate the
ingredients and then add salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate for
several hours, or even overnight. Then, re-toss and fluff with a fork. If
needed, add an additional squeeze of lemon or some salt and pepper.
Can store
in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Recipe originated at rebeccakatz.com but is tweaked here for a more protein heavy vegan meal.
Enjoy!
Herbed Cannellini
Bean and Artichoke Salad
Ingredients
2 cups coarsely
chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon
sea salt
¼ cup lemon
juice
4 teaspoons
capers, rinsed and drained
¼ teaspoon
freshly ground pepper
½ cup olive
oil
4 cups
cooked cannellini beans (about 2 15-oz cans)
8 radishes,
quartered and thinly sliced
1 cup
drained and rinsed marinated artichoke hearts, roughly chopped
4
scallions, sliced
¼ cup fresh
parsley
3
tablespoons chopped fresh mint
1 ½ teaspoons
red pepper flakes
Salt and
pepper, to taste
Method
In the bowl
of a food processor, add the 2 cups fresh parsley, sea salt, lemon juice,
capers, and ground pepper. Blend for several minutes until finely chopped.
Then, while the food processor is still running, drizzle in the olive oil until
the dressing is smooth (ish).
In a large
bowl, stir the other ingredients together and then add the dressing. Toss
thoroughly and add salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours
or overnight. Bring to room temperature to serve. The beans will soak up the dressing,
so before serving, you may want to add another drizzle of olive oil or a spritz
of lemon juice. Serve as is, over warm couscous, or tucked inside pita with a
bit of arugula with some freshly fried falafel.
Recipe modified from one found at rebeccakatz.com. In my version, I omitted the anchovies to make it vegan, upped the number of radishes, and swapped artichoke hearts for kalamata olives. This is an easy recipe to play with.
Enjoy!
