LENTIL TABBOULEH
Many people will look at recipes that contain legumes and beans and move away from them. Why? Although legumes and beans are known for being very healthy, they also produce intestinal gas. This is because they do contain a specific type of fibre called oligosaccharides that travel through the small intestine nearly untouched and land into our large intestine, feeding the gut bacteria. When this happens, the byproduct is fermentation, which produces gas.
While this gas can be very unpleasant, the feeding of the gut bacteria is very important to promote gut health. So, do we need to be uncomfortable for the sake of our gut health? The good news is that there are some tips and tricks that can help reduce the gas production and still eat legumes and beans. In this recipe, I am suggesting to drain and rinse the canned lentils with cold water thoroughly. By doing so, we are removing some of the oligosaccharides present. Another helpful way to reduce side effects, is to increase portions slowly, according to your tolerance levels.
Serve: 4
Difficulty: easy
Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients
-3 cups canned lentils, drained and rinsed
-4 tomatoes, diced
-1 small red onion, diced
-1 cup (25g) parsley, chopped
-4 tbsp mint, chopped
-1 tsp. ground cinnamon
-2 tsp ground allspice
-3 tbsp olive oil
-4 tbsp lemon juice
-zest of one lemon
-salt & pepper to taste
Method
- Place the tomatoes, onion, parsley and mint in a medium sized bowl. Add in the cold lentils, cinnamon, allspice, olive oil, lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Mix well to combine and serve immediately, with a side of rice or a slice of toasted bread.
NOTES: You can keep the tabbouleh in the refrigerator, in an airtight container, for up to 4 days.
