Indian summer is my favorite time of the year. The weather is still warm, but not too hot, and nature is taking on beautiful colors. The summer days are already over, but you still want to enjoy a light meal full of colors and flavors that will give you the energy you need? Try this salad, you will definitely like it!
Ingredients:
125 g of Buckwheat- 1/2 vol of standart tea cup
125 g of black lentils
Tomatoes, Carrot, Red cabbage, Lettuce, Cucumber
Mozzarela
Dressing:
1 tsp of honey and Dijon mustard
1 tbsp of flaxseed and olive oil
Balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Portion: for 2 people
Designation: Vegetarian, gluten-free
Are you vegetarian or do you just want to lighten your diet? Salad is a great choice, but don't forget a good source of protein and good fats! Otherwise you'll soon be hungry again and your body won't get the nutrients it needs. So try adding legumes in the form of black lentils and cereals such as Buckwheat and seasonal vegetables. Personally, I try to include Buckwheat more and more often in our weekly menu because it contains a lot of beneficial nutrients for the body, and this recipe is ideal for that.
Nutritional point
Eat the rainbow
Put as many colors as possible on your plate and get the diverse spectrum of vitamins and antioxidants that your body needs. Each color hides a different natural dye and thus an antioxidant.
In tomatoes, you can find red lycopene, then lutein and beta-carotene, which causes their yellow-orange color.
In red cabbage you will find the so-called anthocyanin. As these antioxidants protect plants from damage from, for example, ultraviolet rays of the sun, this function will be transferred to the cells of our body. So eat the rainbow and try to find as many different colors as possible in seasonal fruits and vegetables and enjoy them.
Flaxseed oil
Linseed or flaxseed oil is an excellent source of quality fats like Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) . You've probably heard this information before, but what exactly does it mean? Put simply, PUFAs are the basic building blocks of lipids, which our body then produces for the formation of cellular tissues, and then, for example, for the proper functioning of the brain and heart. Since they belong to the essential substances, our body cannot produce them.
"Linseed or flaxseed oil is an excellent source of quality fats like Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs)."
Directions
First prepare black lentils and Buckwheat. Black lentils hold their shape and have a nice texture and taste. It is not necessary to soak them in advance. For every part of black lentils (125 g - 1/2 volume of standard tea cup in this recipe), you will need 2 parts of water. I cook them with a pinch of salt and bay leaf for around 20 minutes.
Rince Buckwheat under the water and then cook 1 part Buckwheat (125 g) with 2 parts of water for 10 minutes. Then let it rest for another 15 minutes.
Then chop all the seasonal vegetables. For this recipe, I chose the entire color range so that we have a different source of vitamins and antioxidants that our body needs :-). So eat the rainbow - tomatoes, carrots, red cabbage, lettuce and cucumber.
Prepare everything together on a plate and finally add a quality source of protein. For this vegetarian recipe, I chose mozzarella burrata, because it reminds me a lot of summer and goes well with fresh tomatoes. But you can replace it with tofu, tempeh or another type of cheese. Enjoy!
My tip
This protein salad is great for meal prep if you're short on time. So prepare it the day before and have a quality meal full of nutrients and vitamins, when you need it.
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