Black Lentil And Salsa Verde Salad

An easy salad with asparagus, black lentils and cherry tomatoes that's simple to make, healthy and great after exercise:

"This simply beautiful and tasty salad is high in protein, so it’s perfect for a high-energy day after a workout. If you’re pushed for time, you can buy pre-cooked lentils; but you might need slightly less than the weight listed below."

Ingredients

(serves 2)

• 100g dried dark speckled lentils or Puy lentils
• 1 tsp rice wine vinegar
• 20g sorrel
• 10g mint
• 10g coriander
• 65ml olive oil
• finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime
• 200g baby tomatoes, chopped
• sesame oil, for griddling
• 250g asparagus
• Himalayan pink salt

Ingredients, mint yogurt

(optional)

• 120ml goat’s milk
• yogurt or coconut milk yogurt
• 10g mint leaves
• ¼ tsp smoked paprika

Method

• Cook the lentils according to the packet instructions. When cooked, stir in the rice wine vinegar and set aside.
• Next, make the salsa verde. Put the sorrel, mint, coriander, olive oil and lime juice into a food processor or blender and pulse until you get a chunky texture. Alternatively, chop and combine them by hand.
• Transfer this salsa verde to a bowl and stir in the chopped tomatoes.
• Add a splash of sesame oil to a griddle pan over a high heat and grill the asparagus each side until soft and striped with lovely dark charcoal lines.
• Put the lentils on a serving plate and season with salt. Then, pile the salsa verde–tomato mixture and asparagus on top, with a final garnish of lime zest. If you’d like to have this salad with the minty yogurt, simply mix all the ingredients together in a separate bowl and serve alongside.

© Natasha Corrett.  Recipe taken from Honestly Healthy Cleanse by Natasha Corrett (Hodder & Stoughton £25)