Lentil Salad with Zucchini and Mint


March 10, 2015

This lentil salad with zucchini and mint is vegan and gluten-free, easy, and has fantastic fresh flavor. This is a great protein-rich lunch or dinner.

This lentil salad with zucchini and mint is vegan and gluten-free, easy, and has fantastic fresh flavor. This is a great protein-rich lunch or dinner. This recipe is incredibly basic and delicious, and you could jazz it up with bean sprouts, red pepper flakes, zest, arugula, or pomegranate seeds. I loved it with arugula and red pepper flakes!

I got this lentil salad recipe from Ella Woodward’s debut cookbook, Deliciously Ella that has taken the world by storm. The book is currently the #1 book on Amazon UK with the highest first week sale for a debut cookbook since records began. Watch her cooking up her 10-minute dishes with Matt Lauer on Today.

Ella says,” I taught this salad in my cooking classes last summer and everyone loved it. It’s so fresh and summery with a delicious array of simple flavors. The thin strips of zucchini melt against the creamy chunks of avocado, while the lentils add a hearty, satisfying element and the mint leaves and lime juice make it all taste so fresh. I love sprinkling sunflower seeds over the top for a little crunch too! This is amazing served with a side of steamed or sautéed green veggies.” I say, “Yum!”

Ella’s natural, down-to-earth approach to healthy living and her personal wellness story from junk-food to wellness warrior has captured the hearts of the world. At the age of 19 Ella was diagnosed with Postural Tachycardia Syndrome which left her bed-ridden and in chronic pain. After trying steroids and many other pharmaceuticals, Ella began researching holistic approaches, and decided to give clean eating a go! She triumphed, and after 18 months she healed herself with a plant-based diet, and at the age of 23 is thriving and sharing her healing recipes with the world.

Hailed by the London Times as “The New Nigella”, Ella has millions of fans worldwide, with people flocking to her Instagram and YouTube to get healthy recipes. Ella’s recipes are super simple. It’s convenience plant-based food, and is perfect for beginners, or people who don’t want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. Many of her recipes take just 10 minutes to prepare.

Some of my favorites include: fresh spring rolls, buckwheat focaccia, superfood bread, superfood crackers, spicy roasted chickpeas. lentil and butternut squash dal, carrot, orange, and cashew salad, stuffed crimini mushrooms, warm winter salad, beet chocolate cake, and her famous sweet potato brownies!

Get your copy of Deliciously Ella! and learn more about Ella Woodward.

 

Lentil, Zucchini, Mint Salad

This lentil salad with zucchini and mint is vegan and gluten-free, really easy and has fantastic fresh flavor. This is a great protein-rich lunch or dinner. 

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 4
Author Tess Masters

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup green lentils, rinsed
  • 3 medium zucchini
  • 1 cup firmly packed fresh mint leaves
  • 2 medium avocados
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • Juice of 4 limes, plus more to taste
  • 1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
  • Celtic sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. Place the lentils in boiling water and allow them to boil for 10 minutes, then let them simmer for about 30 minutes until they’re soft, but not mushy. If there’s any water left in the pan, drain and then allow the lentils to cool.
  2. While the lentils cool, peel the zucchini into thin strips using a potato peeler. Pull the mint leaves off the stems and roughly chop them into pieces. Slice the avocado into bite-size chunks.
  3. Place the cooled lentils, zucchini strips, mint and avocado in a bowl and drizzle over the olive oil and lime juice. Mix well, season with salt and pepper to taste, then sprinkle in the sunflower seeds.

Recipe Notes

Excerpted from Deliciously Ella by Ella Woodward. Copyright © 2015 by Ella Woodward.  
Photo by Trent Lanz; styling by Alicia Buszczak

Comments

Comments 8

  1. That is an amazing story, and I won’t call it unbelievable because I do believe it, it makes a lot of sense for food to help us get better and ultimately heal ourselves. I can’t get over the fact that it works so good, and really, so fast. Incredible! Let food be thy medicine! I do love eating healthy and all the ingredients sound real good . I love all. I know that the recipe is really tasty, but the biggest thing about it, it is super healthy. Cool!

  2. I love lentils! This looks like such and easy dish. I guess I could add things like pine nuts and feta if I really wanted to, to give it some more kick. Thanks for sharing I’ll have to try it for dinner tonight 🙂

  3. I love the salad. Easy to prepare and won’t cost you a lot of money. Thank you for sharing the recipe. I’m trying to lose weight so I’m really eating lots of fruits and vegetable and meat with less fat.

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