Lentil Pasta Salad

This hearty salad is made with lentils - a meat alternative that is full of important nutrients like fibre, protein, folate and iron. Canada’s Food Guide recommends choosing meat alternatives like beans, lentils and tofu often. 

Ingredients:

1 cup Red lentils, dry 250 mL
2 cups Water 500 mL
2 cups Small whole grain pasta, dry 500 mL
2 cups Tomatoes, diced 2 medium
1 cup Bell pepper, seeded and diced  1 medium
1 cup Green onion, chopped 250 mL
2 stalks Celery, diced 2 stalks
2 medium Apple, cored and diced  2 medium
¼ cup Canola oil 60 mL
¼ cup Balsamic or red wine vinegar 60 mL
1 tsp Basil, dried 5 mL
1 Tbsp Parsley, dried 15 mL
½ tsp Garlic powder  2 mL
1 tsp Salt 5 mL
¼ tsp Red pepper flakes, dried 1 mL

Directions:

1. Wash lentils in cold water, drain.
2. In a small pot, bring 2 cups of water to a boil.
3. Add lentils and cook on medium heat until soft, about 15 minutes. Drain lentils and set aside to cool.
4. In the same pot, cook pasta according to package directions.
5. Drain the pasta; add to lentils and mix gently.
6. Add vegetables and apples to pasta and lentils.
7. In a small bowl, measure oil, vinegar, basil, parsley, garlic, salt and pepper. Add to pasta and vegetables toss gently.  Serve salad cold or at room temperature.

Makes 8 servings (250 mL/ 1 cup/ 236 g)
Per Serving: 240 calories, 8 g fat, (0.5 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat), 310 mg sodium, 38 g carbohydrate, 9 g protein, 6 g fibre.

For more recipes, see Inspiring Healthy Eating at Healthyeatingstartshere.ca