A warm meal on a cold day hike is like heaven on earth, but what to cook? A warm lentil salad might not be the first that comes to mind, but it is actually easy to cook, healthy and perfect to carry on a hike. So look no further for your next hiking lunch: here is the warm lentil salad recipe with roasted vegetables and balsamic vinegar seasoning.
Made with green lentils and accompanied with roasted carrots and Brussel sprouts and balsamic vinegar seasoning, here is a winter veggie lentil recipe for your next adventure. So turn on the oven, switch on the hob, and let’s get to cooking!
Why a lentil salad?
For a change
The first reason why you should make a lentil salad is that it brings a change. When someone says salad, our brains seem to straight away associate it with a cold dish made of freshly chopped vegetables on a bed of lettuce with some seasoning. Rarely, we associate it with spinach, pasta, rice or even lentils. And when it comes to lentils, even less often we think warm salad.
Mistake!
Here is why you should make a warm lentil salad.
For the health benefits
What are the nutritional benefits of lentils?
Lentils are one of the most ancient food and dieticians regard them as superfoods. Gluten-free, they are packed with carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins and minerals essential for your body.
The proteins contained in lentils help strengthen your bones and contribute to muscle growth. Moreover, the proteins combined with the fibres give you a sensation of fulness which is ideal when practising physical activities that require endurance, such as hiking.
The fibres in the lentils help lower cholesterol and prevent heart disease. Moreover, fibres contribute to a good digestion system and prevent constipation.
For the variety
What should I serve with lentils?
You can eat lentils hot or cold, which expand the horizons of possible recipes. Serve it with rice, vegetables or even an egg, as a soup, a side dish or a main meal, the possibilities are endless.
And if you don’t know where to start, here is a warm lentil salad recipe with roasted vegetables.
Warm Lentil Salad Recipe: What You Need to Know
How do you make lentil salad?
Cooking lentils might scare some but it is actually really easy to do. Unlike most beans, you can buy lentils that do not require overnight soaking and are ready to cook. Rinse them, put them in a pan and soak them in water. Add salt and olive oil to avoid them sticking to each other. Bring it to boil for 10 minutes uncovered and then turn the heat down and cover them for 20 minutes. Check regularly that there is enough water left in the pan to boil the lentils and top up if necessary.
Tip: Add garlic and onion in the mix. They cook really well when boiled.
If there is still water left when you reach the end of the cooking time, use a strainer to drain the lentils.
And that’s it, the lentils are ready!
Related Content: Best Cold Lentil Salad Recipe
What is inside the warm lentil salad recipe?
Let’s take a closer look at the ingredients you need for this recipe and their benefits.
Lentils: As we saw before, experts classify lentils as superfoods. They are jammed packed with proteins, carbohydrates (which your muscle need to function properly when working out), minerals and nutrients. The perfect food for a day spent in the wilderness and in the cold.
Carrots: They contain fibres that have a positive effect on blood sugar levels and calcium which is essential to bone health. Carrots are harvested in spring and autumn, making them an ideal vegetable for this time of the year. They can be eaten raw or cooked and in our recipe, they will be roasted in the oven.
Brussel sprouts: I know we all have bad memories of Christmas dinners as a child when you were forced to finish your greens. Before you start thinking about an alternative to Brussel sprouts for this recipe, let me ask you something: have you tried roasted Brussels sprouts with balsamic vinegar? No? Perfect, so keep reading. Brussels sprouts are high in fibre, vitamin K which is essential for bone health and antioxidants. The latter is important to fight inflammation in your body.
Red Onion: They are rich in vitamin C which helps strengthen the immune system, minerals such as potassium and antioxidants to help fight inflammations. They are the perfect choice to complement your meals whether it is in a salad, a curry, with a piece of meat or fish. You can eat them raw or cooked, crunchy or soft.
Related Content: What to Eat when Hiking
My tips
Whether you are looking for a twist or have concerns about conservation, let me walk you through some of my tips.
Can I add feta cheese to the recipe?
If you are planning to cook the warm lentil salad for a hiking lunch, then the answer is NO.
Don’t carry soft cheese on a hike unless you have an adequate insulated bag and ice pack to keep it fresh. However, as you are carrying a warm salad in a food flask, if you add soft cheese to it, it will get warm and melt by the time you reach lunch break. So unless you want to carry the cheese separately from the salad in an insulated bag with an ice pack and add it to the salad just before eating, I would not recommend you to bring feta cheese.
If you want to enjoy the warm salad at home, of course it goes very well feta cheese.
What alternatives do I have?
You don’t like carrots? That’s ok. Simply follow the steps in the recipe below and swap the carrots for butternut squash. As well as carrots, they are harvested in autumn so perfect for our warm salad. They are rich in potassium which helps keep the blood pressure under control as well as vitamins and minerals.
Still having nightmares about the Christmas dinner Brussel sprouts? If I did not manage to convince you earlier in this article about trying roasted Brussels sprouts with balsamic vinegar, here is your alternative: broccoli! Rich in fibre, vitamins and fatty acid, they help fight bad cholesterol and maintain good heart health.
How to I keep the salad warm on a hike?
To take the lentil salad with you on a hike and enjoy it warm at lunchtime, use an insulated food flask. I highly recommend the Thermos Stainless King Food Flask. It can keep your meal warm for up to 9 hours and come with an integrated foldable spoon. So even if you are the forgetful type, with the Thermos food flask, you are sure not to end up eating with your fingers!
Related Content: Thermos Stainless King Food Flask Review
Warm Lentil Salad Recipe
Warm Lentil Salad
Equipment
- Pan
- Baking Tray
- Small measuring cup
- Salad Bowl
- Insulated Food Jar if you are taking it on a hike
Ingredients
Salad
- 2 Whole Carrots Chopped
- 200 g Brussels sprouts Cut in halves
- 1/2 Red Onion Cut into Wedges
- 1 Cup Lentils Rinsed
- 3 Cups Water
- Salt & Pepper To Taste
Seasoning
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 3 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
- 1 tbsp Honey
- 1 Lemon Juice
- 1 tsp Onion Salts
- Salt & Pepper to taste
Instructions
Lentils
- Rinse the lentils
- Put 1 cup of lentils in a pan
- Add 3 cups of water, salt and olive oil
- Bring it to boil
- Boil it for 10 minutes uncovered
- Cover it and steam it for 20 minutes on lower heat
- Add water if necessary throughout the cooking
Roasted Vegetables
- Preheat the oven
- Chopped the carrots into cubes
- Cut the brussels sprouts in halves
- Cut the red onion into wedges
- Place them on a baking tray
- Pour olive oil
- Add salt and pepper to taste
- Mix to coat the vegetables
- Place in the middle tray and bake for 20 minutes at 200 degrees Celcius
- Adjust time and temperature depending on the appliances and the thickness of the chopped vegetables
Seasoning
- In a small measuring cup mix 1 tbsp of olive oil, 3 tbsp of balsamic vinegar, 1 tbsp of honey, 1 tsp of onion salts, salt and pepper to taste
Salad
- In a salad bowl mix the lentils, the roasted vegetables and the seasoning
- Add lemon juice
- Transfer into an insulated food jar to keep it warm during the hike
Notes
- Swap carrots for butternut squash
- Swap Brussels sprouts for broccoli
- Use vegetable broth instead of plain water for the lentils
- Add feta cheese if you are enjoying the warm salad at home
- Carry the warm lentil salad in an insulated food flask
- Can keep in the fridge for up to 4 days
- Calories
Final Thoughts on the Warm Lentil Salad Recipe
Another recipe to add to your winter hiking lunch to stay warm in the cold, the warm lentil salad recipe is easy to follow and won’t disappoint you. If you cook too much food and have some leftovers, you can have it as a meal and home or bring it to the office and microwave it for a minute.
Like this recipe? Pin it on your winter meals board!
And you, what is your favourite winter hiking meal? Let me know in the comments below.
