Lebanese Salad

My son has, no doubt about it, inherited his daddy’s penchant for red meat, bread and anything sweet. So when I find something that he loves that is more ‘green’ than what he normally goes for, I know I have a discovered a good thing!

What I love about this salad is that it goes perfectly with any protein, is super easy to make and it can keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. The creamy hummus dressing is absolutely delicious (you can even make it in advance and keep it in the fridge before you combine it with the rest of the salad ingredients).

Pomegranate seeds are high in fibre, vitamins (particularly vitamin C and vitamin K) and antioxidants. It is a powerful immune booster, and has been linked to healthy heart functioning and cancer prevention. This super food is one that you most definitely want to get into your little one’s diet whenever you have the opportunity!

Some protein ideas to pair this dish with include; grilled chicken breasts, tuna, minced meat, minced chicken, smoked salmon, flaked fish, hamburger patties, meat balls or boiled egg.

What you’ll need:

For the salad:

• 1 cup quinoa/tabbouleh/cous-cous
• 1/3 cucumber, chopped into small pieces
• 1 tomato, chopped into small pieces
• 1/2 red onion, finely chopped
•  1/4 cup lentils, cooked and drained (rinsed if from a tin)
• 1/4 cup feta cheese, cut into small cubes
• 3 Tbs pomegranate seeds
• 1 Tbs parsley, finely chopped
• 1 Tbs mint, finely chopped

For the dressing:

• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1/2 tsp minced garlic
• 3 Tbs plain full-cream yoghurt
• 3 Tbs hummus
• 3 Tbs tahini paste
• 2 Tbs water

Method:

• If you are cooking lentils from scratch, then you may want to start with this step. Cook them according to the package instructions, rinse and set aside. If you are using tinned lentils then just give them a good rinse to get rid of any excess salt.
• Cook the quinoa/tabbouleh/cous-cous according to the package instructions and then fluff up using a fork.
• Combine the rest of the salad ingredients with the quinoa/tabbouleh/cous-cous.
•  Blend all of the ingredients for the dressing together, ensuring you have a silky consistency that will easily mix in with the salad ingredients (add more water should you need it slightly runnier).
• Pour the salad dressing over the salad and serve with your choice of protein.

*The above recipe will need to be adapted should your child have an allergy to any of the ingredients mentioned.

*Never leave your child unsupervised whilst eating.