Lentil Salad with Chickpeas and Sweet Potatoes (Vegan)

There are some recipes that do not seem to be anything special, but then guests come to my house, taste the dish, are amazed and demand I publish this “masterpiece” on my page. Well … I hear you.

Here you are! Our today’s side dish consists of healthy chickpeas, lentils and delicious sweet potatoes (batata).

I’ll tell you a bit about the healthiness of the ingredients listed above. Chickpeas are a storehouse of protein!

One cup of them contains 15 g. of protein. The peas contain a large amount of fiber, which miraculously controls your blood sugar.

Any food that contains fiber is digested slower than the one that does not, thereby helping the sugar to move more slowly from your digestive tract to the bloodstream. Nuts also contain folic acid and manganese.

Lentils contain calcium, zinc, iron, niacin, vitamin K, also rich in protein and fiber. Do not forget about the most delicious vegetable in my opinion (I’m sorry, pumpkin!) – sweet potatoes.

They contain a charge of vitamin A (beta-keratin), vitamin C, they are a source of copper, phosphorus, vitamins B1 and B2 and our favorite fiber.

It’s easy to serve this salad both hot and cold. You can cook it as a main dish, and combine with any greens or my favorite rocket salad.

A very satisfying, healthy and incredibly delicious side dish for you to enjoy! Ready? Set? Let’s go cooking!

We will need: (4 servings)

1/2 large sweet potato (about 1.5 cups, where the cup is 250 ml, if desired, you can replace it with a pumpkin)

2 sticks of celery

1/4 red onion

1 cup of lentils

3/4 cup of chickpeas

1 tsp. of lemon juice

A handful of fresh spinach

Chili, pepper and salt (to taste)

1/2 tsp. of cumin (or curry)

A pinch of cinnamon (optional)

Vegetable oil for frying

Boil chickpeas and lentils separately from each other. Drain the water.

Cut the potatoes (or pumpkin if you don’t have them), onion, celery. Cubes of potatoes should be small to help them cook faster.

Pour some oil in a frying pan and fry over medium heat.

Add spices, cover with a lid and let it become soft over low heat. If necessary, add a few spoons of water.

When the potatoes are ready (pierce with a knife, it should be soft), add the boiled lentils and the chickpeas. Add the lemon juice.

At the very end, add spinach. Cover and let it sit for 15 minutes. Done! Cool it off or serve hot.

Very delicious and very healthy!

Bon appetit!