Summer for me means fresh, quick, and light dishes! I don’t like spending too much time cooking, rather I prefer spending my time outdoors, at the sea, traveling, and consuming lighter and more frugal meals! This salad perfectly reflects these prerogatives, in fact, I would define it more as a main course than a side dish, considering that inside you will find all the precious vegetable proteins of legumes, in this case, chickpeas and lentils. Everything is prepared quickly, if you buy pre-cooked legumes, you just need to assemble the ingredients in a salad bowl and dress them. Let me tell you, too good! For those who want to consume a light but nutritionally complete meal, here you can find all the beneficial properties of a vegetarian-style dish, with high energy power! The choice of seasoning here is crucial, in fact, the lemon extra virgin olive oil I used, unlike other flavored oils on the market, is made from “real” citrus fruits, squeezed together with olives. A great Sicilian pride that I am happy to share and make known, capable of enhancing all the ingredients present and giving an incredible touch of freshness to every bite!
If like me, you love tasting fresh and summery dishes rich in properties and taste, here are some other ideas for inspiration:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4 people
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer
Ingredients:
- 16 oz cooked lentils
- 5.5 oz cooked, boiled chickpeas
- A few leaves Iceberg lettuce
- 4 plum tomatoes
- 2 cucumbers
- 5.5 oz cottage cheese
- A few tablespoons arugula pesto
- 2 oz arugula
- 3 eggs
- to taste flax seeds
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (in my case, lemon-flavored)
- to taste salt
Tools:
- 1 Colander
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Small pot
- 1 Blender
- 1 Salad bowl
Steps:
Start by rinsing the legumes under running water, removing their preservation liquid, using a colander and set aside (fig. 1).
Meanwhile, place the eggs in a small pot and cover them entirely with cold water, adding a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and, as soon as the water starts to boil, lower the heat and let them simmer for 8′-10’* (fig. 2). Separately, wash the vegetables under running water, pat them dry with kitchen paper towels, and on a cutting board, cut the iceberg into strips. Trim the tomatoes and cucumbers and slice them (fig. 3).
Once the eggs are hard-boiled, run them under cold tap water, peel them and slice them (fig. 4). Finally, prepare the arugula pesto by following the steps of my recipe HERE until you obtain a nice creamy and homogeneous consistency (fig. 5).
You are ready to compose your salad: in a large salad bowl, combine the well-drained legumes, tomatoes, and cucumbers (fig. 6). Mix and also add the iceberg, arugula with the longer stems removed, and the sliced eggs (fig. 7).
Garnish with the cottage cheese and a few tablespoons of pesto (fig. 8). Mix well, adjust the salt, and dress with a nice drizzle of oil (fig. 9).
Serve immediately garnished with a nice handful of flax seeds and some croutons or crackers as a side.
And voilà…your lentil and chickpea salad with arugula pesto and cottage cheese is ready to be enjoyed!
Bon Appétit from La Cucina di FeFè!
Storage
👉 The lentil and chickpea salad with arugula pesto and cottage cheese should be consumed immediately. I do not recommend storing it in the fridge if you have already dressed it, as it tends to become sour, losing its good taste. If you have leftovers, do this: dress only the portion you think can be consumed immediately, while the rest should be stored in the fridge covered with food wrap, which you can dress the next day at the latest.
Tips and Suggestions
🟣 * Many people use the method of adding eggs already in boiling water. In this case, the times are reduced, as once boiling, just place the eggs on a spoon and gently immerse them in the boiling water, letting them simmer for about 6′-7′.
Instead of arugula pesto, you can use a classic basil pesto, and if you cannot find lemon oil, just add a splash of lemon juice before serving.
