Though it’s trendy (or probably past trendy) and oft-derided, I genuinely love kale. I would eat it every day if only my husband was as enthusiastic about it as I was. I love it sauteed, stirred into soups and, of course, raw and torn into salads.
I already have a salad I love to make in the autumn months with kale and butternut squash, but this salad I find to be a bit better for warmer weather. It combines herbed green lentils, lots of feta cheese, toasted pepitas and I toss it all in my tahini yogurt dressing.
It’s simple to make and hearty enough to be a stand-alone meal (similar to my quinoa & arugula salad). In fact, we eat it at home close to once per week!
How to Make Kale Salad With Lentils
To make this salad, start by massaging your kale. This step tenderises the kale and it makes it a lot more pleasant to eat raw.
I recommend letting it sit for at least 30 minutes, but if you haven’t budgeted that time in, it’s not a big deal. The leaves just won’t be as tender.
All you need to do is drizzle the kale with a bit of olive oil and season it generously with salt. Use your hands to massage the oil and salt into the kale leaves – they will deflate and shrink a bit when you do this.
Allow the kale to sit for at least 30 minutes to tenderise further. Meanwhile, you can use this time to make the yogurt and tahini dressing, toast the pepitas and cook your lentils.
Preheat your oven to 180°C/350°F. Add the pepitas to a baking sheet and move them to the oven for about 5 minutes. make sure to set a timer because they can burn so quickly if you forget about them!
To cook the lentils, rinse some dried green lentils and add them to a small saucepan. Cover with cool water, cover the pan and set over high heat. Bring the water to a boil, reduce the heat and allow the lentils to simmer until tender – about 10-15 minutes.
Once they’re done, drain the lentils and run some cool water over them to cool them off.
Then, add them to a small bowl and stir in some chopped parsley, a bit of lemon zest, a drizzle of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Set this aside until you’re ready to assemble the salad.
Once your kale has relaxed enough after its massage, it’s time to put the salad together!
To the bowl with the kale, add some sliced green onions, a diced red pepper, some sultanas for sweetness and a bit of feta for a tangy bite.
Add the toasted pepitas and your cooked lentils, Toss to combine.
Then, pour over your dressing and toss until everything is evenly coated. You can then go ahead and serve the salad immediately. It’s super hearty so it’s great for a weeknight dinner!
Kale & Lentil Salad With Feta & Pepitas
Ingredients
- 120 g (3 cups) kale torn from stems and roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil divided
- 50 g (¼ cup) pepitas
- 125 g (½ cup) dried green lentils cooked, cooled and drained (see note 1)
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 10 g (2½ tbsp) flat-leaf parsley chopped
- 50 g (¼ cup) sultanas/golden raisins
- 30 g (¼ cup) feta cheese crumbled
- 3-4 green onions thinly sliced
- 1 red pepper diced
- 3 tbsp tahini yogurt dressing (see note 2)
Instructions
- Add the kale to a large bowl. Drizzle with 1 tbsp of the olive oil and season generously with salt. Use your hands to massage the olive oil into the kale leaves in order to tenderise them. Allow the kale to rest for at least 30 mintues.
- Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F. Add the pepitas to a large baking sheet and transfer to the oven for 5 minutes, or until lightly browned and fragrant. Set aside.
- Add the cooked lentils to a small mixing bowl and add the lemon zest, parsley and remaining 1 tbsp of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and mix to combine.
- To the bowl with the kale, add the sultanas, feta, green onions, red pepper, toasted pepitas and the cooked lentils. Toss to combine.
- Pour over the dressing and season with black pepper. Toss until thoroughly combined and the salad is completely coated in the dressing. Serve.
Notes
- To cook the lentils, add rinsed, dried lentils to a small saucepan and cover with cool water. Cover and set over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and allow to simmer until tender, about 10-15 minutes.
- Find my recipe for tahini yogurt dressing here.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Nutritional information is automatically generated and provided as guidance only. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
This green lentil and kale salad is simple to make, has many different textures and is super flavourful.
Are you after a great salad to make for dinner? Have any questions about this recipe? Let me know in the comments!
