Lemony lentil and vegetable salad: Spruce up your side dish with this flavourful Middle Eastern recipe

This  flavourful lemony lentil and vegetable salad is filled with a variety of nutritious ingredients that work together to pique your palette and satisfy your appetite.  Lentils seasoned with spices, vegetables, dried apricots, goat cheese and sunflower seeds all play key roles in this healthy Middle Eastern feast.

Preparation and cooking time about 50 minutes
Serves 4

Salad
250 g (1 c) lentils
1 garlic clove (rinsed)
1 slice lemon
1 small red onion, finely chopped 125 g
(1/2 c) roughly chopped dried apricots
3 small peppers (1 each of red, yellow and green), seeded and cut into 1.5-cm (1-inch) squares
125 g (1/4 lb) broccoli, broken into small florets
25 g (1 oz) reduced-fat goat cheese
30 ml (2 tbsp) toasted sunflower seeds
Good pinch of ground cumin

Dressing
Juice of 1 lemon
45 ml (3 tbsp) olive oil
30 ml (2 tbsp) finely chopped fresh cilantro
Pepper for taste

• Put the lentils in a pot,  fill with water and bring to a boil, skimming off any scum.

• Next, add the peeled garlic, cumin and lemon slice, then reduce the heat and simmer until the lentils are tender. About 30 minutes.

• Meanwhile, to make the dressing, put the lemon juice, oil, cilantro and pepper into a large salad bowl, and whisk together.

•  Drain the lentils, discarding the lemon and garlic, and add them to the salad bowl. Toss gently to mix with the dressing.

•  Add the onion, apricots, peppers and broccoli florets, and mix gently. Crumble the cheese over the top, scatter the sunflower seeds on top, and serve immediately.

• Instead of goat cheese, top the salad with sliced, hard-boiled eggs.

• Sunflower seeds are rich in healthy polyunsaturated fats and they are a good source of the antioxidant vitamin E, which helps to protect cell membranes from damage by free radicals. They also provide beneficial amounts of the minerals zinc, iron, copper, phosphorus, selenium and magnesium.

Each serving provides the following:

Blood pressure nutrients:

• 177 mg Vitamin C
• 93 mg Magnesium
• 968 mg Potassium
• 69 mg Calcium

This lemony lentil and vegetable salad packs a real punch, both in taste and nutritional value. The lentils alone are an excellent source of soluble fibre, protein, B vitamins, and can also help reduce high blood cholesterol levels.  Want to have a little extra fun at dinnertime? Serve this side alongside Middle Eastern appetizers like hummus and baba ghanoush for a culinary theme night.