Best Cold Lentil Salad Recipe To Bring On A Hike (Or A Picnic)

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Manger un sandwich froid et détrempé pendant une pause déjeuner au milieu d'une randonnée, quelle sensation agréable, droite ? Non, bien sûr que non, je plaisante ! Au lieu de cela, que diriez-vous d'ouvrir votre boîte à lunch et d'y trouver la meilleure salade de lentilles froides que vous ayez jamais mangée, les lentilles au citron fondant dans votre bouche ! Je peux rendre cela réalité car j'ai la recette de cette Meilleure Salade de Lentilles Froides.

Best cold lentil salad recipe for hiking in a lunch on a red sitting mat on the grass with a burgundy backpack on the right side

As a hiker, I know how hard it very well may be to find ideas for meals you can bring on a hike. Add to this that you burn around 430 calories per hour when hiking (depending on weight), you need to make sure you have a meal that will bring you the required nutrients and still taste great. This is why I have created this nutritive lentil salad that I wanted to share with you. Made with sweet potatoes, tomatoes and cheese and accompanied by a homemade sauce, it will brighten your lunch and be appealing to your envious hiking buddies

So let’s dig into it!

What is inside the best cold lentil salad recipe?

The best cold lentil salad recipe: ingredients displayedon a wooden chopping board on a grey surface with a bottle of olive oil on the top middle — Ingredients you need

As a vegetarian (on and off), I have learnt to mix and match the flavours over the years. This salad is born from various recipes that I knew and my own experience. So what is this salad exactly made of and how it can benefit you when on a hike?

Lentils: They are rich in proteins, fibres and antioxidants. They have a low glycemic index which means we won’t be pulling on weight. They are classed as slow-release carbs which makes them the perfect ally if you are on a long hike as it will help you to keep going.

Tomatoes: They are rich in vitamin C, potassium and antioxidants. Their consumption helps prevent heart problems and maintain good eyesight.

Tomatoes chopped into cubes on a wooden tray with a knife on the right and a lime on the left — Chopped tomatoes

Sweet potatoes: They are classed as slow-release carbs too and they are high in fibre, antioxidants are a source of vitamins and minerals. They are really nutritious and are recommended as part of a diet to reduce post-workout inflammation.

Goat cheese: It contains calcium, phosphorus and copper to keep the bones strong. It is easier to digest and represent a good alternative to cow-milk cheese.

Onion: They are rich in antioxidants and have anti-inflammatory properties. Same as goat cheese, they are good for the bones.

Chopped onion on a wooden tray with a knife on the right and a tomato and a lime on the left — Chopped onions

How to make the best cold lentil salad? My tips for the recipe

“Oh my God, this is the best lentil salad I have tasted!”

This is what I wish my father would have said when I first served it to him. Unfortunately for me, it was the opposite. “There is not enough of this, not enough of that…“. His feedback helped me improved the recipe to what it is now. So, if you want to impress your hiking buddies when they try your lunch, here are a couple of tips I have for you.

To cook

Use dry lentils and not tin canned ones or the one in microwavable pouches which are too salty
Cook the lentils in a broth either vegetable or chicken instead of plain water
Add garlic and lemon to the broth to give more flavour
Add lettuce to the salad it will look better on a plate (or lunchbox)
You can swap the goat cheese with feta cheese depending on your preference
Optional: Add slices of boiled egg (that’s my father’s favourite)
Additional information: Carry it in an insulated lunch bag to keep it cool during the first part of your hike

To manage your time

Peel and cut the sweet potato while the oven is preheating
Cut the onion while the sweet potato is baking
Cut the tomato and cheese while the sweet potato and onion are baking
Prepare the sauce while the sweet potato and onion are cooling down

Salad dressing mixer with the sauce in it and bottles of curcuma, cumin, salt and pepper and half a lime around it — The sauce in a sauce mixer

Honestly, I could not come up with an actual name for this recipe, so I simply call it “The Best Cold Lentil Salad".

Bon appétit !

The “Best Cold Lentil Salad” recipe

Cold Lentil Salad

Lily

Perfect to carry on a day hike, this cold lentil salad is easy to prepare and brings you all the nutrients you need to carry on with your day in the outdoors

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Temps de préparation 20

Temps de cuisson 10

Type de plat lunch

Cuisine continental, salad, vegetarian

Portions 4 people

Calories 295.8 kcal

Ingrédients

1 Sweet potato
1 Tomato
100 g Goat Cheese Semi-soft
150 g Cooked Lentils
1 Onion
5 tbsp Olive Oil
1 tsp Thyme dry
Salt and Pepper

Dressing

3 tbsp Olive Oil
1 tbsp Lime Juice
1 pinch Curcuma
1 pinch Cumin
Salt and Pepper

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 220 degrees
Peel the sweet potato and cut it into cubes
Chop the onion
Place the cubes of sweet potato on the tray
Add 1 tbsp of olive oil, thyme, salt and pepper and mix it by hand
Place on the middle tray and let it bake for 10 minutes
Halfway through add the onion to the tray and let it bake for 5 minutes
Cut the tomato into cubes
Slice the goat cheese and cut it into small pieces
Take it out of the oven and let it cool down
In a salad bowl, place the cooked lentils, add the tomatoes, the sweet potatoes and the onion
Pour the sauce and mix it well until absorbed
Sprinkle with goat cheese on top
Add salt and pepper for taste

Dressing

Mix 4 tbsp of olive oil, lime juice, thyme, Curcuma, cumin, salt and pepper
Leave it to rest

Notes

This recipe does not include the cooking time of lentils. As specified in the ingredient, it takes into account that the lentils are already cooked
I recommend that you choose dry lentils even though they take longer to cook than tin lentils or the one in the microwavable pouch because they contain less salt hence are better for health
When cooking the lentils, a tip is to boil them in vegetable broth (or chicken broth)rather than plain water and add garlic and lemon for the taste
You can replace the goat cheese with feta cheese
You can add some lettuce to it at the end. My mum tried it and it does look nicer on the plate (or the lunchbox)
Final tip, you can add slices of boiled egg to it, it is delicious!
Nutrition facts table

Best cold lentil salad recipe nutrition facts table

Keyword cold, easy, hiking lunch, nutritive, picnic

I hope that you have enjoyed the Best Cold Lentil Salad recipe. If you have any suggestion or know any other cold lentil salad recipes that you would like to share, please leave me a comment below. I would love to learn about lunch fav to bring on a day hike.