Lentil Veggie Salad

Sweet potatoes, brussels sprouts, lentils, seeds and you’ve got yourself a tasty and affordable meal prep meal for the week. Try making this Lentil Veggie Salad for a flavorful and filling lunch that’s good hot or cold.

Me thinking out loud (wait you don’t talk to yourself too?):

• What can I make that’s not hard?
• What can I make that I can’t mess up? *See below
• What will taste good cold for lunch?
• Whats got protein and veggies to keep me satisfied?
• How can I incorporate the food that I already have in the pantry/fridge?
• Is it easy to pack for lunch?

These are some of the thoughts I had when I was thinking about meal prepping this week. Lemme elaborate:

Most of the time I don’t want veggies for breakfast. Pass. I have less of an appetite in the morning before class. Just give me something sweet and good to eat. Insert oatmeal, almond butter and strawberries. By the time lunch rolls around I’m like: give me all the veggies. Now here’s my appetite. So, by lunch I’m ready to eat big volumes of food that are going to fill me up. Insert veggies. And a cookie though too. Because, ya know, balance.

On days that I have to eat lunch in between classes I like to take something that tastes good cold. There’s no microwave or stove near by to reheat it, sigh. So, I remembered back in March I made this “Loaded Lentil Salad” from Hummusapien here. It tasted great cold and it was easy to pack for lunch. So, I decided that this seemed like a good meal to meal prep for this week. I just needed to do a little bit more meal planning, go to the grocery store to get food for the week and then I was set.

^Me right now. Because… am I a morning person? Eh, not really. So packing my lunch in the morning = stressful. I feel rushed. But, me at night –> I’m too tired for this. I don’t want to have to decide what to back right NOW. That requires brain work. I’ll just do it when I wake up. Sure, yeah, it will be easier in the morning… *wakes up* I don’t know what to pack AHHHH; I don’t have enough time for this. -And the cycle continues-

Also, another dilemma: packing enough food. I don’t want to make my backpack super heavy but I also don’t want to go starving. With fall semester in full swing I’ve forgotten how much food I need to last me when I leave the house for classes for 7 hours. What I’ve learned: pack more than I think because hangry Shoshana is no fun.

*You really can’t mess this recipe up or go wrong.

I might have yolo’d this recipe a little too hard… but if that doesn’t give you confidence to cook I don’t know what will. If I can mess up a recipe and have it still taste great than you don’t need to have perfect chef skills to make this.

I may have been a little preoccupied slash overconfident with the recipe. I have skimmed over the directions a little to fast. In short, I forgot to add the spices until the end and I forgot to cook the onions before the lentils. Don’t worry, it was all worked out.

Ingredients: (from: hummusapien.com)

• 3 medium sweet potatoes, diced into bite sized pieces
• 16oz brussels sprouts, thinly sliced
• 2 tsp Herbs de Provence (I didn’t have this so I used a blend of Italian spices. Choose your faves!)
• 1 tbsp maple syrup or honey
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 2 red onions, diced
• 1 cup green lentils (I used 1/2 cup because I wanted less lentils)
• 3 cups broth or water (I used vegetable)
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/3 cup pepitas or sunflower seeds

All of my roomies as they pass the kitchen “whatever you’re making smells so good.”

Directions: (from: hummusapien.com)

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line baking sheets with foil or parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the sweet potatoes, brussels sprouts, spices, maple or honey, salt, pepper and 1-2 tbsp EVOO. Spread onto prepared baking sheets and roast for about 20 minutes. Stir halfway.
3. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Cook the onion for about 5 minutes or until softened. Next, add lentils and broth/water. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low and simmer, about 15-20 minutes. Most of the water should absorb but if not drain any the excess. Pour and mix the balsamic vinegar with lentils.
4. Mix the everything together in a large bowl. Don’t forget the seeds like I did! Enjoy 🙂

When I went grocery shopping for this recipe I already had enough sweet potatoes. Next time I make this I’ll try to get three different varieties of potatoes because why not.

You’re not being a sweet potato!!!!!!! Yes I yam…

-Sho