Legumes are healthy and nutritious food that should not be missing in our diet. They are rich in slow-absorbing carbohydrates, fiber, protein, iron, vitamins, and minerals such as magnesium and calcium. They also do not include saturated fat.
However, with the summer heat, those strong stew or stew dishes that we prepare in winter do not appeal to us. But do not worry, you don't have to give up legumes when the heat hits. Lentils, chickpeas, beans, peas and other legumes are delicious in salad and offer a multitude of combinations. They are fresh, healthy, fun, and ideal for a light dinner or a picnic. In addition, your children can help you prepare them, so in addition to having fun, they will learn to cook. They will surely not be able to resist a dish prepared by themselves.
Legume recipes for summer
Chickpea salad
- 300 g of chickpeas
- 1 scallion, chopped (optional)
- Olives
- Tuna
- Avocado
- Hard-boiled egg
Soak the chickpeas the night before. Cook them and drain them. Chop all the ingredients and add them to the chickpeas. Season with salt, pepper and season with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle a little chopped parsley on top.
Lentil salad with chicken
- 300 grams of lentils
- 1 chicken breast
- 1 / 2 chive
- Cherry tomatoes
- Olive oil
- Vinegar
- Salt and pepper
Cook the soaked lentils the night before. Drain and reserve. In a skillet with little oil, brown the chicken breast and cut it into strips. Add to the lentils, the chicken, the tomatoes cut in half, the finely chopped chives and season to your liking with oil, vinegar, salt and pepper.
Pasta salad with beans and peas
- Spirals or vegetable macaroni (they give a very colorful touch that your children will love)
- A handful of frozen peas
- A handful of white or red beans
- A tomato
- A chive (optional)
- 1/2 red pepper
- Oil, vinegar, salt and pepper
- Fresh basil
Boil pasta according to package directions. When it's ready, drain it and run it through the cold water. Thaw the peas by placing them in a saucepan of boiling water for 5 minutes. Chop the rest of the ingredients and mix everything with the pasta. Dress with oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Sprinkle with fresh basil.
hummus
It's not a salad, but kids will love dipping with this chilled chickpea puree.
- 500 grams of chickpeas cooked and drained
- 1 garlic clove
- Half a cup of milk
- Juice of half a lemon
- Peppers
- One teaspoon of ground cumin
- One tablespoon of tahine (sesame puree)
- Salt and black pepper
Rinse the chickpeas very well under the tap until the foam that remains when cooking them disappears. Put them in the blender glass, add the peeled garlic, the salt, the cumin, the tahine and a drizzle of olive oil. Blend until you get a homogeneous puree. Serve chilled, sprinkled with paprika, sesame seeds and a dash of olive oil. Accompany it with pita bread or toast.
As you see there is no excuse not to eat legumes in summer. These are just a few examples, but surely you can think of many more.