Black Lentil Salad with Tofu

Serves 4 or 2 as a main dish

Ingredients

200 g dry black

Pinch of salt

370 g tofu

2 spring onions

200 g mushrooms

150 g courgette

160 g broccoli

120 g sugar snap peas

30 g flaked almonds

1 tbsp sesame oil

2 tbsp light soy sauce

1 tbsp sesame seeds

For the tofu marinade:

4 tsp. chopped or finely grated ginger

4 tbsp sesame oil

8 tbsp soy sauce

4 tbsp almond butter or tahini

2 tbsp maple syrup or honey

the juice of 1 lime

Preparation

Marinating the tofu

Pat the tofu with a kitchen towel to soak up excess moisture/water and cut the tofu into small cubes.

‘In a bowl, mix all marinade ingredients together, add tofu and leave to marinate for 1 hour

Preparing the lentils

Wash the beluga lentils well and bring them to a boil in a saucepan with twice the amount of water and a pinch of salt. Simmer for about 30 minutes until just soft (or follow instructions on the package). Drain off excess water from the lentils.

Preparing the vegetables

Wash all the vegetables.

Cut the spring onions into fine rings.

Slice the mushrooms.

Cut the courgettes and broccoli into bite-sized pieces.

Heat a tablespoon of sesame oil in a pan and fry the vegetables for approx. 5 minutes.

Add 2 tbsp soy sauce to the vegetables and sauté for another 2 minutes.

Put the vegetables to the side.

Preparing the almonds

In a pan without oil, toast the flaked almonds for about 3-5 minutes until golden brown. Watch them as they can burn very quickly. Leave to cool on a plate.

Preparing the tofu

Heat another tablespoon of sesame oil in the pan and fry the tofu cubes until they are golden brown on all sides.

Serving the dish

Mix the lentils together with the vegetables, tofu and the remaining sauce.

Garnish with the almonds and sesame seeds and serve warm.

Why this salad is great for you

Tofu is made from soybeans. Soy is a high-quality protein and contains all the essential amino acids, like those found in meat. Some studies see an association between eating soy and a reduced breast cancer risk, although more studies are needed to confirm this. Eating soy does not increase breast cancer risk.