Lentil Sprouts and Cucumber Salad with Maple Mustard Vinaigrette
I have been on a cleaning jag lately. I was deep into the pantry when I found a packet of mixed seeds for sprouting. My favorites, lentils, made up a major part of the seeds. I threw them in my sprouter and today (3 days later) they were just perfect to turn into a salad.
Sprouts are wonderful for us to eat. When you begin the sprouting process, the formerly dormant seeds start gathering all of their seed energy and begin to come alive. When you eat sprouts you are catching the seeds when they are producing maximum nutrients. When seeds are sprouting, they turn into a magnificent enzyme factory, producing vitamins, minerals, and proteins. They are also a great source of fiber.
Sprouts are truly living food and very easy to do, yourself. A quick over-night soak and then rinsing 3-4 times a day for two days gave me a ton of tasty sprouts. Lentils are one of my favorite sprouts because of their super fresh taste. You will find they make a great addition to this salad. I would highly recommend sprouting your own. It is easy and they will be fresh.
Lentil Sprout and Cucumber Salad with Maple Mustard Vinaigrette
SERVES 4
Vinaigrette
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 lemon, juice from
- 1 clove garlic, finely minced
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup (not raw but used often in raw food recipes)
- 2 teaspoons mustard (I used dijon)
- Himalayan salt and pepper to taste
- Place all ingredients in bowl and whisk until the mixture starts to emulsify.
Salad
- 2 cups sprouts (I used a lentil mix)
- 2 cups cucumbers, cubed
- 2 scallions, sliced
- Toss together all salad ingredients.
- Stir in vinaigrette and mix well.
- Let sit in refrigerator for 30 minutes (if you can wait) to meld flavors.
Some other Salads you might enjoy:
Strawberry Mango Salad
Betsy wrote on November 7, 2012
Susan – This recipe interested me….but it was because I was searching for a salad recipe with which I could incorporate Brussel Sprouts. I will be making this for dinner tomorrow night – replacing the cucumber with the brussel sprouts. Thanks for always posting the most delicious raw & living food recipes with your gorgeous photos and encouraging advice. I L-O-V-E your “Rawmazing” website. Thanks so much!
Rebecca wrote on September 26, 2012
Great recipe! I am new to (deliberately) raw foods and sprouting in particular. I sprouted some brown lentils just because I had them (and to get my proverbial feet wet). Then I had all these sprouts and no idea what to do with them. I googled “raw food lentil sprouts recipes” and voila! The dressing is amazing! I’ll be making this one again for sure. Thank you!
Tranaya wrote on January 11, 2012
This is an amazing salad! I had a bunch of sprouted lentils and mung beans and came upon this recipe. We added a bit of ginger and some raw macadamia nuts….sooo good! I doubled the recipe and it was perfect for dinner for two.
Jenné @ Sweet Potato Soul wrote on June 25, 2011
Gorgeous photo! I’m loving all of your new recipes!
Andrea wrote on June 19, 2011
Thanks for the recipe. It looks delicious. I have never done the sprouts but will try. What I have done is eating the lentils just soaked in hot water instead of cooking them and they were delicious.
Thanks for explaining the benefits of sprouting. I never felt compelled to do the sprouting because of too much work or because was not sure of the benefit and if I would like it. Now that I understand I will surely try it.
It is so amazing how just simple food taste so much nicer and makes you feel so much better than the processed food. Plus we get all the health benefits.
Thank you.
Lois wrote on June 19, 2011
Looks delish! What about the shell that is left behind from the spouting seed. Do you make sure you remove all of them, eat them or when you rinse them what is ever left you eat?
Laura-Jane the Rawtarian wrote on June 19, 2011
Such a pretty plate! I don’t tend to sprout much, simple I’m so lazy and I am bad at thinking ahead.
Alfalfa sprouts are my favorite. Lentil sprouts have kind of a weird musty taste to me, although I haven’t had them in a long time so I should probably give them a shot.
myrecessionkitchen wrote on June 18, 2011
Sounds delicious. I haven’t done any sprouting in a long time, you’ve inspired me!