Bariatric-Friendly Warm Lentil and Roasted Pepper Salad

Looking for a healthy side dish to bring to your Thanksgiving meal? Check out this recipe from Reader's Digest for Warm Lentil and Roasted Pepper Salad.

Lentils are nutritious members of the legume family. They are packed with fiber to keep your digestive system happy and can even help lower cholesterol. They are also a great vegetarian source of lean protein (1 cup provides 18g), as well as a good source of iron.

Warm Lentil and Roasted Pepper Salad Recipe

Preparation: 45 minutes
Cook: 35 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 3 cups water
• 1 cup brown lentils
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup chopped parsley
• ½ cup diced, drained, and rinsed canned roasted sweet red pepper
• 1 medium celery stalk, diced
• ½ cup diced red onion
• 1 cup diced and seeded plum tomatoes
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

Directions

• Bring water, lentils, and ½ teaspoon of the salt to a boil in a 3-quart saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer covered until lentils are firm, but fully cooked – 20-30 minutes.
• Mix parsley, sweet pepper, celery, onion, tomatoes, garlic, lemon juice, oil, black pepper, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt in large serving bowl.
• Drain lentils. Add to serving bowl and toss.
• Serve warm.

Tip: Lentils do not need to be soaked before cooking. Just lightly rinse lentils in a colander before cooking.

Nutritional information (per serving)

• Calories: 250
• Fat: 8g
• Saturated fat: 1g
• Cholesterol: 0mg
• Sodium: 253mg
• Carbs: 34g
• Protein: 15g
• Fiber: 8g