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Blog and photo by Angela Tucker

Pasta salad is one of the easiest dishes to bring to a potluck, or prep on the weekend for quick lunches to eat during the week. This recipe is great because you get a good balance of different foods, giving you a pretty complete meal. Plus, all the colours look great on the plate–and as we all know, that means an array of different vitamins and minerals!

This recipe also includes some hemp hearts (yay for Manitoba-grown foods!), which are a good source of omega 3 fatty acids. These essential fats have many health benefits, such as lowering the risk of heart disease. Current research is now examining the role they may play in lowering cancer, depression, Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. Other plant-based foods that are high in this plant-based omega 3 fatty acid are walnuts, chia seeds, flax seeds, and canola oil.

Pasta Salad

Makes around 10 cups of pasta salad

Ingredients:

1 cup dry lentils
2 cups cherry tomatoes
4-5 medium carrots, grated (or ~2 cups)
1 medium cucumber
2 cups of your favourite dry whole wheat pasta (penne or spiral or bowtie)
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup olive oil
½ tbsp italian herb blend
Salt and pepper to taste
¼ cup hemp hearts (or more if you like!)

Instructions:

  1. Cook the lentils according to the directions on the package and drain.

  2. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half, grate the carrots, and slice the cucumber as desired.

  3. Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package and drain.

  4. Combine the lemon juice, white wine vinegar, olive oil, herbs and salt and pepper in a jar and shake to combine.

  5. Once everything is prepared or cooked, gently combine in a large bowl and sprinkle the hemp hearts on top.


Angela Tucker is a Registered Dietitian from rural Manitoba. Angela first became vegan for compassionate reasons but soon realized other ways a vegan lifestyle and plant-based diet positively impacts the planet and health. To learn more about her philosophy on food, visit her blog PrairieSprout. You can also find her on Facebook and Instagram.