This is the most delicious salad! And the best part about it is how great it is for gut health. It has a combination of unique prebiotic fibres that have been shown in studies to increase the growth of beneficial gut bacterial and to increase gut integrity and reduce inflammation. 

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Serves: 4-6

DRESSING INGREDIENTS:
1 small eschalot, finely minced (about 2 tablespoons minced)
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon honey
1 ½ tablespoons sherry vinegar
sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
5 tablespoons olive oil

POTATOES + SALAD INGREDIENTS:
1 kg chat potatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon za’atar spice (if you can't find this spice blend in the store make your own - see below for recipe)
sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
½ cup French or Puy lentils, rinsed (you can use green or brown lentils if you can't find French or Puy lentils)
2 leeks
15-18 spears of asparagus, woody ends removed + cut into bite-sized pieces
2-3 radishes thinly sliced
¼ cup fresh dill leaves, chopped

DIRECTIONS

 

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C.

Make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the minced eschalot, mustard, lemon juice, honey, sherry vinegar, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Set aside.

Cut the potatoes into halves and transfer them to a large baking sheet.  If some of the potatoes are particularly large, cut them into quarters. Toss the potatoes with 1 ½ tablespoons of the olive oil, za’atar, salt, and pepper. Slide the potatoes into the oven and set a timer for 40 minutes.

While the potatoes are roasting, bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the lentils to the saucepan and simmer until just tender, about 18-20 minutes. Drain the lentils and transfer to a bowl. Toss the warm lentils with 2 tablespoons of the dressing, some salt and pepper, and set aside.

Trim off the bottom and the dark green parts of the leeks. Cut lengthwise and rinse well under the tap. Slice into thin slices.

Once the 40 minute timer on the potatoes rings, take the potatoes out of the oven and give them a stir. Push them over to one side of the baking sheet. Drop the asparagus and sliced leeks onto the empty part of the baking sheet. Toss the asparagus and leeks with the remaining olive oil, salt and pepper. Slide the baking sheet back into the oven for 10 minutes, or until asparagus is bright green and tender.

 

** To make this dish better for your gut health, cool the potatoes in the fridge for an hour before preparing the next step. By cooling the potatoes, you convert the starchy carbohydrates in them into a resistant starch that acts like a fibre. This makes them lower GI and allows the carbs to bypass absorption and instead travel to the colon where they feed the gut bacteria instead. 

To serve, combine the potatoes, asparagus, leeks, lentils, radishes, dill, and remaining vinaigrette in a large bowl. Season the salad with salt and pepper, and toss to combine.

Serve immediately.

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Za’atar

·        2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme

·        2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted

·        2 teaspoons ground sumac

·        1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

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Stir together all ingredients in a small bowl

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*Recipe adapted from The First Mess

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