Asian Beluga Lentil Salad with Almond Tofu

*This post is sponsored by REWE Bio.

I’m so excited to share this recipe with you all as it is sooooo delicious. I’ve once again teamed up with my trusted partner REWE for this recipe. Thank you REWE Bio for always supporting my blog and allowing me to dance through my kitchen every day!

Today I brought you one super delicious beluga lentil salad with the best smoked tofu ever. Ever, you guys. I know, I know. Tofu. Tofu has gotten quite a bad rep lately, due to GMO reasons, but I have actually made peace with tofu a long time ago. Now we’re best friends sometimes, and I know, you will, too. The secret to good tofu is the way it is prepared. And the secret word here is: tofu press. I knooooooow, not another kitchen tool! But there is actually quite an easy method to press the liquid out of the tofu without a legit tofu press. Just wrap your tofu in a kitchen towel, put it between two plates and add books on top, so the books press the liquid out. Add more books after about a hour to make it even heavier. This step is soooo important, you guys!

Whenever I buy tofu, I really pay attention to quality. Organic is a given. That’s why I am so glad that I teamed up with REWE Bio who has one amazing smoked tofu in their range. What I love about REWE Bio is that the products are not only organic, but also taste incredible, are free from yeast extract or flavor enhancers and are even affordable. We all know that organic food can easily break the bank, but not with REWE Bio. Obviously, this post is sponsored by REWE Bio, but believe it or not, I have actually been buying my beluga lentils from their brand in forever. So naturally, I was thrilled to team up with them and to tell you that their REWE Bio products have a brand new look. If you shop at REWE, this is the logo that tells you that the product is from REWE Bio:

Now on to this amazing salad: we have a beluga lentil base, topped with crunchy sauteed vegetables such as green asparagus and snap peas, roasted cashews, heavenly marinated tofu and a few carrot strips. Amazing you guys!

Of course I also have a few food facts for this recipe. We all know that tofu is a super amazing plant-based protein source, but did you also know that beluga lentils are too? All lentils are super amazing when it comes to protein and also fiber, so adding them to your diet is so beneficial. Especially for your gut health as the healthy bacteria in your gut thrive on the fiber in lentils. Also, the fiber keeps us full longer and keeps our energy levels up! How amazing is that?

Now I leave you with this super delicious Asian-inspired salad! Enjoy it!

Asian Beluga Lentil Salad with Almond Tofu

 

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Prep time

30 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

1 hour

 

Author: Lynn Hoefer

Serves: 4

Ingredients

For the salad:

• 1 cup (200 g) of beluga lentils
• 185 g of smoked tofu
• 200g of mushrooms
• 2 tablespoons of tamari
• 100 g of broccoli
• 100 g of sugar snap peas
• 150 g of zucchini
• 2 spring onions
• 60 g of sliced almonds
• 1 tablespoon of black or white sesame
• 1 tablespoon of sesame oil

For the sauce:

• 2 teaspoons of chopped ginger
• 2 tablespoons of sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons of tamari
• 2 tablespoons of almond butter
• 2 tablespoons of maple syrup

Instructions

1. Press the tofu with a tofu press or wrap it into kitchen paper and place it between two plates. Add some books on top to press out any remaining liquid in the tofu. Let it sit there for at least 10 – 15 minutes. I even prefer 30 minutes. Then cube the tofu, whisk all ingredients for the sauce in a bowl and marinate the tofu in the sauce for about half an hour.
2. Thoroughly wash the beluga lentils and place them in pot with three times the amount of water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 30 minutes until the water has evaporated.
3. Wash the broccoli, cut off the stems and cut the broccoli florets into bite-sized pieces. Wash the sugar snap peas. Wash and slice the zucchini. Slice the spring onions and herbs.
4. In a saucepan, roast the almond slices for a few minutes until golden brown. Add a dash of sesame oil to the pan and add the broccoli, sugar snap peas, zucchini and mushrooms. Fry the vegetables for about 3 – 5 minutes then add a tablespoon of tamari and sauté everything in the tamari for another minute or so. Set the veggies aside.
5. In the same pan, add another tablespoon of sesame oil and fry the tofu for about 5 minutes from each side until golden brown and delicious.
6. Drain any remaining liquid of the beluga lentils and add the lentils to a bowl. Add the vegetables, spring onions, tofu, cashews and the remaining sauce to the bowl and combine well. Serve with the tofu, sprinkle with black and white sesame seeds and enjoy.

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Enjoy!