Palestinian style lentil, tofu “halloumi” and beetroot salad

Palestinian style lentil, tofu “halloumi” and beetroot salad

Salads need not be boring or leave you hungry. This salad is fresh, tasty, packed with protein and filling! This Palestinian inspired salad is packed full of the flavours of the Mediterranean and Middle East and makes a great lunch, dinner or starter if you want to reduce the portion size.

There are three ingredients I have used that might not be in your cupboard. These are persevered lemons (which is what they sound like and much less sharp than regular lemons), za’atar and sumac. Za’atar is a mixture of dried herbs, spices and sesame seeds and It is great for finishing off dishes with. Sumac is a spice made from dried berries and has a citrus like tartness to it.

All of these ingredients are available in most supermarkets in the spice section.

Serves two and easy to multiply

INGREDIENTS

For the salad

• 400-500g cooked green lentils or puy lentils

• 2 preserved lemons (not fresh lemons!) - chopped

• 1 large or 2 medium cooked beetroot - chopped into 1 cm pieces

• 1/3 cucumber - chopped into 1 cm pieces

• Two handfuls of mixed salad leaves - I like spinach, watercress and rocket (arugula)

• Sprinkling of za’atar

For the “Halloumi”

• 1 block of tofu - sliced into 0.5 cm slices

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• Juice of 1/2 lemon

• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast 

• 1/2 tsp za’atar 

• A big pinch of salt and pepper

  
  For the dressing

• 2 tbs olive oil

• Juice of 1/2 lemon

• Pinch of sumac (optional)

• Pinch of salt and pepper

METHOD

1. Start by making the marinade for the “halloumi”.  Combine all the ingredients, except the tofu, mixing well before adding the tofu. Allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes.

2. In a large bowl, combine the lentils, preserved lemons, beetroot and cucumber.

3. Heat up a large frying pan on a medium/high heat, add a little olive oil and fry the tofu, leaving the marinade to one side. Cook till golden before turning it over. After it has cooked for 1 minute, add the marinade to the pan so it can soak up all the flavours. Cook until the tofu is golden and then set aside.

4. Combine all the ingredients for the dressing in a jar or bowl and shake/whisk until the dressing has come together.

5. Split the lentil mixture between two plates or serving bowls. Top each plate with the salad leaves, followed by the dressing, the tofu and finish off with a sprinkling of za’atar.