CARROT, SPINACH & BUCKWHEAT SALAD

Today, to welcome the arrival of April in my kitchen, I decided to cook something light, easy and quick. My taste buds crave nothing but carrot recently, thus I cooked carrot, spinach and buckwheat salad tossed with green lentils and raisins and mixed with a tahini, lemon, olive oil and maple dressing. It may sound like a long title for an easy dish (I admit), but I swear it’s really super duper easy.

It also makes a perfect spring dish as it’s very light yet the buckwheat adds a filling texture to each bite, so each plateful fills you up and nourishes you. I'm also pretty enthusiastic about the raisins - they taste ah-mazing! I soaked them in warm water for a little while to make them juicier and sweeter, creating the perfect contrast to the savory ingredients like spinach. The dressing adds a creamy texture with a sweet touch to the whole dish. You should try it; seriously.

This dish is a great on-the-go lunch as it remains delicious when cold, so you can make it the night before and take it with you to your work or school.

Carrot, Spinach & Buckwheat Salad

makes 1 serving

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup buckwheat + 2/3 water + juice of 1/2 lemon
• 2 handfuls of spinach
• 1/4 - 1/3 cup green lentils (I used canned lentils; but you can cook your lentils according to the package)
• 2 medium carrots, finely grated
• ¼ cup raisins (or more)

Additional:

• 1-2 tbsp chia seeds
• Top with almonds, hemp seeds, flax,…

Dressing:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2/3 - 1 tbsp tahini
• 1 tbsp maple syrup (or honey if not vegan)
• 1/2 lemon juice

1. Start by cooking the buckwheat by adding it to a saucepan or a pot with 2/3 cup of boiling water and juice of 1/2 lemon and let it simmer until all the water has been absorbed.
2. While the buckwheat cooks rinse the spinach and in a large pot heat a little bit of olive oil and sauté 1 clove chopped garlic over medium heat for about 1 minute until golden but not brown. Add spinach (optional: salt and pepper), toss it with the garlic and olive oil and cook until all the spinach leaves are wilted. Put into a medium bowl and set aside.
3. Peel and grate the carrot and mix it with the green lentils; then add it to the bowl with spinach.
4. Pace the raisins into a bowl of warm water and allow them to soak for about 3 minutes, depending on the water temperature – this makes them much juicier and waaaaaay more delicious! When they’re done, add them to the bowl with other ingredients.
5. Finally, make the dressing simply by mixing the tahini, lemon, maple and olive oil with a fork until smooth.
6. When the buckwheat is cooked, add all the ingredients into a large bowl; pour on the dressing and mix it all together.
7. Top with your favorite toppings and ENJOY!