Spiced prawn & lentil salad with a minty yogurt dressing

When you hear the word 'salad' do you instantly think of pale, limp lettuce leaves and a few watery tomatoes? Well this salad is the complete opposite. We've included Puy lentils which are a great source of fibre (healthy digestion) and prawns which are an excellent source of high quality protein (working muscles) and healthy fats (heart health). For a boost of antioxidants we've added spinach and green beans and spiced it up with cumin, coriander and turmeric, and served it with a minty yogurt dressing.
Serves 2
Prep: 5 mins Cook: 30 mins
For the salad:
1 cup Puy Lentils, rinsed and drained
4 cloves garlic, left unpeeled but squashed with the back of a knife
3 sprigs of rosemary or another hard herb such as sage, bay leaves or thyme
6 spring onions, finely sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 green chilli, finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 small bunch coriander leaves
1 cup baby spinach
100g green beans, trimmed and chopped into 3-4cm pieces
For the prawns:
1 teaspoon turmeric
2 tablespoons olive oil
18 large raw prawns, peeled and deveined but tails intact. (You can use frozen, just thaw them in the fridge a few hours before, and add a few more if they are a little small)
For the minty yoghurt dressing:
1 cup Greek yoghurt
Zest and juice of two limes
2 teaspoons fish sauce
4 tablespoons finely chopped mint
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Make your dressing by placing all your ingredients in a bowl and whisking to combine. Leave in the fridge until ready to serve.
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Put the lentils, garlic, herbs and 11⁄2 cups water into a medium saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes or until tender. Add the beans to the pan and cook until jus tender. Drain the lentils and beans, discarding the herbs and garlic.
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Place the warm lentils, spring onions, 2 tablespoons olive oil, vinegar, chilli, ground spices and coriander in a bowl. Stir to combine, season with salt and pepper and set aside.
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Place the remaining olive oil, turmeric, salt and pepper in a bowl and stir to combine. Add the prawns and toss to coat evenly.
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Heat a non-stick frying pan over a high heat for a minute or so. Once it’s smoking hot add the prawns and fry until just opaque, stirring constantly.
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When you’re ready to serve toss the spinach in the lentil mix until coated with the dressing.
- Divide the salad among four plates, top with your prawns and a good few spoons of mint dressing.