Last week, I’ve made The Best Vegan Potato & Kale Salad salad. A couple of days ago, I received the request to publish a dish which makes you feel full long. In event of my recently published meal-prep ebook, I decided to make it a meal-prep recipe. It is also a meal, that qualifies as seasonal, regional, gluten-free & vegan – isn’t that just the best f****** combination ever? It’s made with potatoes, lentils, kale & tomatoes.
Therefore, today, I am showing you how to prepare The Best Vegan Potato & Kale Salad ever. I am also including several substitution options, in order to adapt it to other seasons and to make the preparation even faster, depending on your personal circumstances.
Possible Substitutions
As promised, please find the possible substations below.
Dried lentils:
First of all, the lentils. In order to make the preparation quicker, you could use pre-cooked lentils. Just make sure to wash them before using them. The liquid is usually a bit starchy & full of FODMAPS, which can irritate the stomach. You may use any type of lentils, you’ve got left in your cupboard , Just be aware, that the cooking time varies for different types of lentils.
Raw potatoes:
You could use pre-cooked baby potatoes, if you can find them, to decrease preparation time.
You could also use sweet-potatoes, Jerusalem artichokes or even pumpkin instead of regular potatoes, in case you can’t or don’t want to eat them.
Kale:
Any leafy green is suitable, really. As it’s a winter green & grown in my area, I like to use kale. But you could perfectly use rocket leaves, spinach or even lamb’s lettuce. I also like the taste of kale. Sautéed for a short while, it retains its texture yet gives off an incredible taste. Substituting it, I would most likely go for rocket leaves, I think, as they provide a lovely nutty flavour.
Walnuts:
You can use any nuts you like. So make use of what you’ve got left over in your cupboards, depending on your preferences, food allergies, etc. You can also mix different nuts. A lovely addition, in my opinion, are toasted almonds or pine nuts.
Cranberries:
It’s the same for cranberries, really. It makes sense, though, to use small dried fruits or cut them into small pieces. I’d recommend raisins or apricot, as they’ve got a little acidity. Other dried fruits, like dates, can be really sweet, which could lead to an overpowering sweetness for the overall dish.
Proteins:
If you want to add an extra portion of proteins, I can recommend some pan fried tofu or some feta cheese.
Recipe: The Best Vegan Potato & Kale Salad
The Best Vegan Potato & Kale Salad
Ingredients
- 15 baby potatoes
- 200 g dried green lentiles
- 250 g kale
- 1 red onion
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 150 g walnuts
- 100 g cranberries
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 3 tbsp balsamico vinegar
- 1 lemon
- salt
- pepper
- maple syrup
- cumin
- 1 tsp mustard
- 150 g cherry tomatoes
Instructions
- ---- Should you use pre-cooked lentils & potatoes, please skip this step ----First of all, we have to cook the lentils & potatoes. Let's start with the potatoes. Please wash them & add them to a pot with salted water. There is no need to peel the potatoes. Bring to a boil & reduce to low heat. Let them simmer for around 15-20 minutes (until done, but not too soft). Next, on to the lentils. Add 1.5 cups of water to a cup. Add salt & the bay leaves. Bring to a boil and add the lentils. Let them simmer for around 15 minutes, on low heat. Once, the potatoes & lentils are cooked, drain them & let them rest for a minute.
- While the lentils & potatoes are cooking, cut the onion into slices and chop the garlic into small pieces. You should also wash & cut the kale at this point. Half & quarter the cherries tomatoes. Make use of the time, you're waiting!!Pour the cooked lentils into a bowl & add 2 tbsp of olive oil, the juice of half a lemon and the tomatoes.Put a pan on medium-high heat & add the walnuts. Be careful not to burn them. Once they've taken some colour, get them out and chop them up roughly.
- Now, that the pan is hot, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to it. Add the potatoes & roast until they start to get brown. Turn down the heat to medium & add the onions. Sautee them for 2-3 minutes, then add the garlic. Add the kale & sautee for another 2-3 minutes.
- Season with salt, pepper, cumin and smoked paprika. Add 3 tbsp of balsamico vinegar, for sweetness & acidity. Let it reduce for a minute, then add everything to the bowl with the lentils & tomatos. Add the chopped walnuts and cranberries & mix everything.
- The dish is already great that way, but i recommend you to add some of my vinaigrette (see in notes) when you eat it.
Notes
Last but not least...
Lastly, if you want to learn more about Meal Prep – what it is & how to do it & you want to try more recipes, check out my Meal Prep eBook.
I’ve included 5 recipes, a printable weekly meal planner and shopping list. I’ve also added the most important tips and a list of things you should always have at home.
I also want to let you know & you might know this already, that I focus on recipes, which are naturally gluten-free & so is this one. Furthermore, it has a lot of complex carbs, is high in fibres & very low in sugar. Eating it for lunch, it should keep you full for the rest of day. If you feel, you want to add an extra amount of protein, please feel free to do so.
I hope you’ve enjoyed the recipe for The Best Vegan Potato & Kale Salad. If you try it, I’d love to get your feedback, in the comments below. As always, if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Happy Cooking,
Carolin 💕