Salad with Lentils, Grapes & Cheese
Grapes and lentils sound like a gamble until you try them in the same bowl. Sweet pops against earthy legumes, with cheese strips for salt and fresh spinach for color. A quick honey-mustard-balsamic dressing brings the whole thing together — 10 minutes, no cooking, and 10 grams of fiber from three different sources.
Grapes and lentils sound like a gamble until you try them in the same bowl. Sweet pops against earthy legumes, with cheese strips for salt and fresh spinach for color. A quick honey-mustard-balsamic dressing brings the whole thing together — 10 minutes, no cooking, and 10 grams of fiber from three different sources.
Ingredients
- lentils, canned 3 ounces
- cucumber 0.5
- cheese 2 slices
- spinach 1 handful
- grapes 15
- olive oil 1.5 tablespoon
- balsamic vinegar 1 tablespoon
- yellow mustard 0.5 teaspoon
- honey 1 teaspoon
- bread, whole wheat 2 slices
Method
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Rinse the lentils in a sieve with cold water. Slice the cucumber into half slices and the cheese into strips.
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Place the spinach in a bowl along with the lentils, cucumber, cheese and grapes.
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Stir the oil, vinegar, mustard and honey in a small bowl to make a dressing. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss together. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
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Serve this lentil salad with the (toasted) bread.
Toss the dressing with the lentils first, before adding the spinach and grapes. Lentils absorb vinaigrette faster than raw vegetables, and the spinach stays crisp when it spends less time in the acid.
Behind this recipe
Is 21 grams of protein enough for a meal?
It depends on your daily target. Research has shown the body can use well above the old 30-gram ceiling per meal for muscle building — so 21 grams is not wasted. But it is on the lighter side for a main meal. Pairing this salad with a higher-protein dinner or a protein-rich snack can balance the day.
Read the full evidence reviewCan I use a different cheese?
Feta and goat cheese both work well with the balsamic-honey dressing. The macros shift slightly depending on what you pick, but the salad holds together with any semi-firm or crumbly cheese.
Will this salad keep for meal prep?
Pack the dressing separately and add it right before eating. The lentils, cucumber, and grapes keep well for 24 hours in the fridge, but dressed spinach wilts fast. Adding the greens fresh keeps everything crisp.
