Protein Power Goddess Bowl
Vegan, nut-free, refined sugar-free, soy-free
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This hearty recipe is inspired by a vegetarian restaurant called The Coup in Calgary, Alberta. A rich, tangy lemon-tahini sauce coats chewy French green lentils, spelt berries, and crunchy vegetables. I suggest serving a couple spoonfuls of this recipe on top of a salad or alongside crackers and hummus—a little bit goes a long way.
Yield
6 cups
Prep Time
30 Minutes
Cook time
35 Minutes
Total Time
1 Hour, 5 Minutes
Ingredients:
For the goddess bowl:
- 1 cup uncooked French green lentils (2 to 2 3/4 cups cooked)
- 1 cup uncooked spelt berries or wheat berries (2 cups cooked)
- 1 tablespoon (15 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 medium or large red onion, chopped
- 3 to 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved or 1 large tomato, chopped
- 3 cups packed baby spinach, roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley, minced
- 1 batch Lemon-Tahini Dressing
- Fine sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
- Chopped green onion and lemon zest, to garnish (optional)
For the Lemon-Tahini Dressing:
- 1 large garlic clove
- 1/2 cup (125 mL) fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup (60 mL) tahini
- 3 to 4 tablespoons nutritional yeast, to taste
- 3 to 4 tablespoons (15 to 20 mL) extra-virgin olive oil, to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
Directions:
- Soak the spelt berries in a bowl of water overnight, or for at least 8 to 12 hours. Drain and rinse well.
- Add the drained spelt berries into a medium pot and cover with a couple inches of water. Bring to a low boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium, cover, and simmer for 30 to 35 minutes until tender, but still chewy. Drain excess water.
- Rinse and drain the lentils. Add to a medium pot and cover with a couple inches of water. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil and then immediately reduce the heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes until tender, but still a bit chewy. French lentils will hold their shape beautifully and won't break down like regular green or brown lentils. Drain well.
- Prepare the Lemon-Tahini Dressing: Mince the garlic in a mini food processor. Add the rest of the ingredients and process until smooth. Set aside.
- In a large skillet or pot, add the oil, onion, and garlic, along with a pinch of salt. Stir. Sauté over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes, until the onion softens.
- Stir in the chopped red pepper and tomato and sauté for another 7 to 8 minutes.
- Add the spinach, cooked spelt berries and lentils, and stir to combine. Sauté until just wilted. Remove the pot from the heat.
- Stir in all of the Lemon-Tahini Dressing, and the fresh parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve with chopped green onion and lemon zest on top, if desired. This salad is lovely served on top of a leafy green salad, or you can serve it with hummus and crackers on the side too.