Figure Friendly Lentil Salad with Chutney Dressing!

This figure friendly salad is nutritious and refreshingly delicious with the sweet-and-sour tang of the yogurt chutney dressing. The hot sauce adds a kick to it!

Lentil Salad with Chutney Dressing

Serves 2

For the lentils, I like to soak and cook the lentils and beans in advance, to avoid the excess sodium of the canned versions. A good time-saving tip is to soak and cook a big batch, then freeze them in individual portions in the freezer. Whenever I need beans or lentils, I can just defrost them and they’re ready in a jiffy!

To soak the brown lentils, wash and soak them in hot water for about 2 hours. (For beans, let them soak overnight).

Cook the lentils in the water with a pinch of salt. Let the water come up to a boil, reduce heat, and cook the lentils  for about 7 or 8 minutes or until they are cooked but not mushed. Drain the lentils, and set aside to cool.

Ingredients for the salad

• 1 cup cooked brown lentils
• 1 cup Romaine lettuce shredded
• 1 small apple, cored and chopped in bite-size pieces
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• ¼ cup low-fat or non- fat feta cheese crumbles
• 2 scallions chopped, both green and white parts

For the dressing

• ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons of tamarind-date chutney, such as the Deep brand (refer to the picture in the Weekend Chat with a Scoop recipe on my blog)
• ½ teaspoon hot sauce such as Sriracha (optional)
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• Salt to taste

Directions

1. For the dressing, whisk together all the ingredients.
2. Add a couple of tablespoons of the dressing to the cooled lentils, and set aside.
3. Assemble the lettuce, apple, and carrots in a serving bowl.
4. Top the assembled salad with the lentils, feta cheese, and scallions.
5. Serve with the extra dressing on the side.

Tips and Variations

For a quick version, you can use canned chickpeas (rinsed) instead of the brown lentils.