Here’s another “bowl-full-of-healthy” salad recipe where we loved both the flavor and the simplicity. Adapted from Martha Stewart, the base of this dressing is our healthful lemon olive oil and a ripe avocado; add a few other simple ingredients and whip it up in a food processor. Lentils, kale, almonds and sprouts join the party to complete this nutritious and flavorful dish. We made things even easier by using vacuum-packed cooked lentils widely available in most supermarkets. This dressing has a “creamy” feel to it without all the bad fats so make more and use it to jazz up a simple side salad.
INGREDIENTS
- ¼ cup Olive This! Lemon Olive Oil
- 1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and cut into 5-6 large chunks
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons minced shallot
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice, plus extra lemon wedges on the side
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 2 2/3 cups cooked lentils (one 17.6-ounce vacuum pack or two 15-ounce cans, drained and rinsed)
- 1 bunch (about 10 ounces) Tuscan kale, with stems/ribs removed and leaves chopped
- sliced almonds
- aged cheddar cheese (optional)
DIRECTIONS
Prepare dressing ingredients. Mince the garlic and shallots, peel and cut the avocado, measure out the lemon juice and olive oil.
To make the dressing, place the avocado, lemon olive oil, garlic, shallot, lemon juice and salt into a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse together to puree the avocado and run processor until smooth and creamy.
Add the kale leaves into a large mixing bowl. Add two-thirds of the dressing to the bowl and toss well.
Divide the dressed kale into four serving bowls. Add the cooked lentils, sprouts, almonds, lemon wedges and the optional shaved cheddar cheese to each bowl. Add a dollop of the remaining dressing dividing it equally among the four bowls (or pass the remaining dressing on the side when serving). Dig in!
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
Have a comment? We’d love to hear from you. Have you tried this dish? Do you have a variation that you think others will enjoy? Leave us a comment below.