Anyone who’s still in the kitchen after a long bike ride and is whipping up a multi-course cooking marathon has either not pushed themselves hard enough – or has a lot of energy to spare. For everyone else, there’s this summer lentil salad: quick to put together, packed with everything your body needs after a strenuous ride, and simply delicious.
Lentils provide complex carbohydrates and protein – exactly what tired leg muscles need to recover. Rocket, sprouts and the colourful vegetables provide vitamins and minerals, whilst linseed and walnut oils, with their omega-3 fatty acids, have an anti-inflammatory effect – handy when your thighs are protesting after the last climb. The hemp seeds on top aren’t just a trendy garnish, but real nutritional powerhouses packed with high-quality protein. And then there’s the feta, too.
Best of all: the salad is perfect for packing into jars and taking with you – whether to the office, to the lake or straight onto your next ride. After all, being suitable for a picnic isn’t just a bonus when it comes to cyclists’ meals – it’s a must.
Ingredients (serves 4):
- 30 g pine nuts
- 200 g cooked lentils (jar or packet)
- 1 red onion
- 1 organic cucumber
- 1 yellow pepper
- 400 g (assorted) cherry tomatoes
- 100 g sprouts (e.g. alfalfa, radish, cress, etc.)
- 100 g rocket
- 2 tart apples
- 1 bunch of parsley
- 3–4 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 50 ml apple juice
- 1–2 tsp mustard
- 1 tbsp linseed oil
- 1 tbsp walnut oil
- Salt, freshly ground pepper
- 200 g low-fat feta (9 % fat)
- 20 g hemp seeds (shelled)
Method
1 First, toast the pine nuts in a non-stick frying pan until golden brown, then set them aside.
2 Drain the lentils into a sieve, rinse them briefly and leave them to drain.
3 Then prepare the vegetables: peel the onion and slice it into fine rings; wash the cucumber and dice it; trim and wash the pepper, then cut it into strips; wash the tomatoes and quarter them. Sort through the sprouts; wash the rocket, spin-dry it and tear it into rough pieces. Wash the apples, quarter them, remove the cores and cut them into thin wedges.
4 For the dressing, whisk together the vinegar, juice, mustard and oils, and season generously with salt and pepper. Wash the parsley, pat it dry, remove the leaves and chop them roughly.
5 Now put it all together: mix the salad ingredients with the dressing and arrange in bowls. Crumble the feta over the top and garnish with pine nuts, hemp seeds and parsley.
Preparation time: 20 mins
Per person approx.: 361 kcal, 20 g protein, 17 g fat, 28 g carbohydrates
By the way...
Cold-pressed linseed and walnut oil is particularly rich in healthy omega-3 fatty acids, but is therefore also sensitive to heat and not suitable for frying. Ideal for adding a touch of flavour and for cold dishes!
Laurin Lehner
Editor
