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Shoestring Summer Vegetables with Lentils and Smoky Tahini Dressing

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 4 as a side
Author Karen Gibson

Ingredients

for the smoky lemon tahini dressing

  • 1/4 cup tahini well stirred
  • 6 tablespoons water
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons honey or agave
  • 1 clove garlic roughly chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon smoked paprika

for the dish

  • 1 cup dried beluga lentils
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 zucchinis ends trimmed
  • 2 summer squash ends trimmed
  • 1 large carrot ends trimmed
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil butter, or Earth Balance
  • 1/4 cup chopped onions
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • salt and pepper

Instructions

for the smoky lemon tahini dressing

  • Add all dressing ingredients to a blender puree until smooth. Dressing will be thin.

for the dish

  • Bring the 2 cups of a water to boil in a small saucepot. Add the lentils and bay leaf. Reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer, and cover. Cook 15 to 20 minutes - lentils should be al dente. Drain, return to the pot, and set side to cool to room temperature.
  • Use a mandolin, a spiral slicer, a julienne peeler, or mad knife skills to slice the zucchinis, squash, and carrot into thin narrow strips.
  • Heat the olive oil (or butter or Earth Balance) in a large skillet until shimmering or melted. Add the onions and sauté for several minutes, until the onions begin to soften. Add the shoestring vegetables and cook until they become tender and flexible, but not soggy. Turn off the heat. Add two tablespoons of the dressing and stir gently.
  • Add one tablespoon of the dressing to the cooled lentils (in the pot) and stir gently.
  • To serve, spoon the lentils on a platter. Pile the shoestring vegetables in the center. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Serve the remaining tahini on the side.