Lentil Taco Salad
Vegetable-based lentil taco salad with bold flavors and lots of texture.
Lentil Taco Salad
Serves 4 - 5
This salad came out of two desires that happened to coincide. First, I wanted tacos but was too lazy to make homemade tortillas and second, for the first time I found fresh cilantro in the market. So here we go, tacos, but without the tortillas and the added benefit of a whole bunch of vegetables.
Red leaf lettuce and peppery chickory make the base, topped with a simple cilantro cabbage slaw. Taco meat flavored lentils, pico de gallo, corn salsa and avocado finish off the salad toppings. A spicy, creamy dressing of chili and the optional addition of nutritional yeast finish it off. This dressing is an adaptation of a chipotle one I used to make in the States. I have included the instructions on how to make that chipotle dressing in the “Recipe Tips” section. Additionally, this can easily be made vegan by substituting vegan mayo in the cabbage slaw.
“Recipe Tips:
1. To make a Chipotle dressing, sub 2 chipotles in adobo and 2 t of the adobo sauce for the chilis and omit the cilantro and nutritional yeast. Proceed as directed to make the dressing.
2. You can build the salad however you like but, I like placing the cabbage on top of the lettuce and the lentils on top of the cabbage. This allows me to use the cabbage as a barrier to keep the lettuce from wilting too much from the heat of the lentils.”
Ingredients
Lentils
454g (1 lb) brown lentils
1 bay leaf
Chili Dressing
40g (about 4) cheongyang or serrano chili
3 garlic cloves, ends trimmed
3 T rice vinegar
2 T brown rice syrup or honey
1 T cilantro, chopped
1 T yondu or soy sauce
2 t nutritional yeast – optional
0.50 t dried oregano
0.75 t kosher salt
0.25 t ground black pepper
0.25 t ground coriander
5 T vegetable oil
Cabbage Slaw
1 T mayo
1 garlic clove, minced
0.50 t kosher salt
1 lemon, zested
9g (2 T) cilantro, chopped
341g (0.75 lb) green cabbage, thinly sliced
Corn Salsa
340g (most of a 15oz) canned corn, drained but not rinsed
100g (1 small) green bell pepper, minced
80g (4 – 5) scallions, whites and greens, sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 non spicy red chili, sliced
0.75 t ground cumin
0.50 t kosher salt
0.50 t ground black pepper
0.50 t dried oregano, rubbed
1 lemon juiced
Pico de Gallo
454g (1 lb) cherry tomatoes, quartered
40g (3 - 4) scallions, whites and greens, sliced
20g (0.25 c) cilantro, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
0.50 t kosher salt
0.25 t ground black pepper
1 lemon, juiced
Lentil Saute
3 T olive oil
300g (1 large) onion, diced
150g (1 medium) red bell pepper, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
Lentil Spices
1 T ground cumin
2 t paprika
2 t ground coriander
2 t chili powder
1.5 t garlic powder
1.5 t onion powder
1.25 t kosher salt
1 t dried oregano
0.50 t MSG
0.50 t ground black pepper
0.25 t ground cinnamon
0.25 t garam masala
Lentil Finishing
Drained lentils
100ml (0.50 c) water
Salad
341g (0.75 lb) red leaf or other lettuce, torn into bite sized pieces
150g (1/3 lb) chickory, torn into bite sized pieces
1 avocado, sliced
Recipe Know-how
1. Rinse the lentils and place in a medium sized pot.
Using cold water, cover the lentils by at least 4 inches with water.
Bring the water to a boil covered.
The lentils should be rolling around in the water like when cooking pasta.
Reduce to a strong simmer and cook for 12 – 20 minutes.
Test the lentils after 10 minutes. Check every 2 miunutes afterward until done.
Cooked lentils should be mostly tender but toothsome.
The lentils should not be soft or mushy and should retain their shape well.
While the lentils cook, make the dressing.
Drain the lentils and rinse under cold water briefly.
Allow to continue draining for at least 1 hour.
2. Preheat broiler on high.
Prick the chilis once or twice with a sharp knife.
Roast under the broiler, turning often until golden brown on all sides and the chili is beginning to soften.
You do not want blackened skin!!
If using chipotle chilis, skip the broiler step.
Place the chilis in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and allow to steam for 5 minutes.
Cut the tops of the chilis off and place in the bowl of a food processor.
Add the remaining dressing ingredients except the oil.
Puree until smooth.
Add the oil and continue to process until smooth.
Refrigerate until needed.
3. In a medium bowl, combine the mayo, garlic, salt, lemon zest and cilantro.
Add the cabbage and toss to coat well.
Taste for seasoning and adjust as desired.
Refrigerate until needed.
4. In a medium bowl, combine the corn salsa ingredients mixing well.
Taste for seasoning and adjust as desired.
Refrigerate until needed.
5. In a medium bowl, combine the pico de gallo ingredients mixing well.
Taste for seasoning and adjust as desired.
Refrigerate until needed.
6. Heat a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat.
Add the oil and heat until hot.
Add the onion, bell pepper and garlic with 0.25 t kosher salt.
Saute for 4 – 5 minutes or until beginning to soften.
Add the spices and cook for 1 minute longer.
Add the drained lentils and water.
Cook stirring frequently until all of the water is gone and the lentils are tender but still hold their shape, 7 – 10 minutes.
Taste for seasoning and adjust as desired.
Cover and let stand off heat for 15 minutes before serving.
7. Remove the dressing, cabbage slaw, corn salsa and pico de gallo from the refrigerator.
Taste the dressing for seasoning adjusting by adding more sweetener or vinegar as desired.
In a large bowl, combine the salad greens.
Toss with enough dressing to coat the greens.
Divide the greens among 4 – 5 plates.
Top each plate with cabbage slaw covering almost to the edges of the salad greens.
I like to place the cabbage here so the heat of the lentils do not wilt the salad greens too much.
Top the cabbage with the lentils.
Divide the corn and pico de gallo evenly among the plates.
Top with the sliced avocado and drizzle each plate with a little more dressing.
8. Serve.
