Peach & Arugula Lentil Salad
This Peach & Arugula Lentil Salad is filled with corn, hearty lentils, sweet peaches and a super flavorful creamy maple dijon herb vinaigrette! With toasted pine nuts and vegan feta, there's lots to love about this salad! Serves 2-3.
Servings: 2 people
Ingredients
- 1 ear of corn
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 1 peach sliced
- 4 oz. arugula
- 1/4 cup vegan feta crumbled
- 1 cup lentils*
Dressing
- 2 tbsp vegan mayo
- 2 tbsp dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- Juice of 1/2 lemon optional for extra tang
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh basil
Instructions
- Bring a pot of water to a boil then drop in corn. Boil for 7 to 8 min, then carefully remove corn from water and set aside to cool. Once cooled enough to handle, chop off corn kernels from the cob.
- Meanwhile, toast the pine nuts by heating a small pan on medium heat. Add pine nuts and toss frequently until lightly golden brown. Depending on how hot your pan is, you may need to wait 30-60 seconds before the nuts begin to toast, but watch them carefully. Remove from pan and set aside to cool.
- Whisk together all Dressing ingredients in a bowl until creamy and smooth.
- Top arugula with sliced peaches, lentils, corn, vegan feta, toasted pine nuts and about 3/4 of the dressing. Toss and taste for seasoning. Add more salt/pepper/dressing as desired.
Notes
Instead of using fresh corn, you can prepare 1/2 cup frozen corn and let it cool completely. Peaches or nectarines will work with this recipe. You can substitute spring mix for the arugula. Feel free to use all parsley or all basil, as opposed to a mix of both.
*You can use canned lentils or cook them from scratch. Canned lentils: be sure to rinse and drain them well. I used canned brown lentils in this recipe. Cooking the lentils from scratch: you can use black or green lentils as well, avoiding red lentils. Cook them in salted water or vegetable broth for extra flavor. Be super careful to avoid over-cooking the lentils. You'll want them al dente. Otherwise, they will be too mushy in the salad. Drain away any remaining liquid and let them cool completely. You can spread them out on a baking tray lined with parchment paper to cool. It's a simple way to speed up the cooling process.