Red Lentil Thai Chili

Olive oil (1 teaspoon to 2 tablespoons, however much you feel like using)
1 large yellow onion, diced medium
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced medium
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 ½ lbs sweet potatoes cut into ¾ inch chunks
1 cup red lentils
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups vegetable broth
2 15 oz cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
1 15 oz can lowfat or regular full fat coconut milk
28 oz can diced tomatoes
½ cup fresh cilantro, plus extra for garnish
Limes for garnish (optional)

Preheat a 4-quart pot over medium heat. Saute onions and pepper in oil with a pinch of salt, for 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic and saute a minute more.

Add chili powder, sweet potatoes, lentils, salt and vegetable broth. Cover and bring to a boil. Let it boil for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. When lentils are cooked and sweet potatoes are tender, add the remaining ingredients and heat through.

Taste for salt and seasoning, top with cilantro and lime and serve!  Serves 10 to 12 (more like 6-8)
http://www.isachandra.com

Quinoa Taco Salad Bowl

Ingredients

Olive oil spray
1 medium onion chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
2 teaspoons taco seasoning
½ - 1 chipotle chili pepper in adobo sauce chopped fine
½ cup quinoa rinsed
1 cup vegetable broth
1 lime juiced
1 1/2 cups cooked pinto beans about 1 can
1 ½ cups frozen corn thawed
¼ cup chopped cilantro
6 cups romaine lettuce
1/2 cup grated Cheddar
1 avocado sliced
1 cup salsa
For serving: tortilla chips OR tortilla bowl sour cream/Greek Yogurt

Instructions
Spray a medium skillet well with olive oil spray. Add chopped onion and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, until tender. Add garlic, taco seasoning, chipotle chili, and quinoa. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add vegetable broth and bring to a simmer. Reduce to low and cook for 30 to 35 minutes.
Stir in lime juice, pinto beans, corn, and cilantro. Cover and let sit off the heat for 5 minutes. Fluff.
Fill bowls (either regular or tortilla bowls) with romaine lettuce. Top with quinoa mixture, cheese, avocado, and salsa, Olives, and any other desired toppings. Serve with tortilla chips and sour cream or Greek Yogurt.

https://wendypolisi.com/quinoa-taco-salad-bowl

Loaded Greek Chickpea Pasta Salad

INGREDIENTS

1 (8 ounce) box Chickpea Pasta, whichever kind you like
1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 medium red bell pepper, diced
1 medium yellow bell pepper, diced
1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 1/2 cups diced cucumber
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
3/4 cup chopped kalamata olives
1/2 cup diced red onion
1 small handful chopped fresh parsley

Dressing:

1/3 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1 small clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon pure maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and black pepper, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Prepare all vegetables and place them in a large bowl with the feta, chickpeas and parsley.
Cook chickapea pasta according to package directions.  Drain and add to the bowl.

Add all dressing ingredients to a small bowl, or jar, and whisk until combined.  Pour dressing over pasta salad and mix all ingredients together until it’s combined.
Pasta salad can be served immediately or refrigerated up to 3 days.

Serves: 3-6

https://www.shelikesfood.com/loaded-greek-chickpea-pasta-salad/

MEDITERRANEAN THREE BEAN QUINOA SALAD

FOR THE SALAD:

1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
½ lb. green beans, trimmed and snapped into 2-inch pieces
1 (15 oz) can of garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed
1 (15 oz) white beans, drained and rinsed
1 red bell pepper, seeds removed and chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, seeds removed and chopped
1 cup chopped seedless cucumber
1 cup grape tomatoes, cut in half
1/4 cup diced red onion
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/3 cup kalamata olives, pitted and sliced in half
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

FOR THE DRESSING:

1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

In a medium saucepan, bring quinoa and water to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until for 15 minutes, or until quinoa is tender. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes, covered. Remove lid and fluff with a fork. Transfer quinoa to a large bowl.

Meanwhile, blanch the green beans. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the green beans and cook until tender crisp, about 2 minutes. Drain the green beans and place in a bowl of ice water.
Drain well and pat dry.

Add the green beans, garbanzo beans, white beans, peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion, feta cheese, olives, and basil to the bowl with the quinoa.

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper. Pour dressing over the salad and gently stir until salad is coated with dressing. Season with additional salt and pepper. Serve.

https://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/mediterranean-three-bean-quinoa-salad

Mexican Pasta Salad

8 ounces whole wheat pasta (bow tie, elbow, or pasta of choise)
1 (15-ounce) can corn
1 (15-ounce) can black beans
2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
2 large avocados, peeled, pitted, and diced
3 whole green onions, thinly sliced
1 large jalapeno, cored, seeded, and diced
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (optional)

FOR THE DRESSING:
3/4 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Zest of 2 limes, plus 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1 teaspoon Tabasco or similar hot sauce
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

Directions:

Cook the pasta to al dente according to package instructions. Rinse with cool water, drain, and place in a large serving bowl. Add the corn, black beans, cherry tomatoes, avocados, green onions, jalapeno, and cilantro.

To make the dressing, in a small bowl or large measuring cup, stir together the Greek yogurt, olive oil, lime zest and juice, hot sauce, salt, chili powder, and smoked paprika. Taste and add additional salt or spices as desired. Pour over the pasta mixture. Toss to coat, then sprinkle the feta over the top.

If time allows, chill for 2 hours prior to serving or enjoy immediately.

About 6-8 servings
https://www.wellplated.com/mexican-pasta-salad

Spicy Black Bean Soup

This healthy black bean soup recipe is easy to make with canned beans. Thanks to some basic aromatics and Cuban spices, it’s incredibly flavorful and delicious. This soup is naturally vegan, vegetarian and gluten free. The recipe yields quite a bit of soup (6 to 8 servings)—it is easily halved, or you can freeze the leftovers.

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium yellow onions, chopped
3 celery ribs, chopped fine
1 large carrot, peeled and sliced into thin rounds
6 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
4 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (use ¼ teaspoon if you’re sensitive to spice)
4 (15-ounce) cans of black beans, rinsed and drained
4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
1 to 2 teaspoons sherry vinegar, to taste, or 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Optional garnishes: diced avocado, extra cilantro, thinly sliced radishes, tortilla chips…

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onions, celery and carrot and a light sprinkle of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetable are soft, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Stir in the garlic, cumin and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Pour in the beans and broth and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cook, reducing heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer, until the broth is flavorful and the beans are very tender, about 30 minutes.

Puree about 4 cups of the soup in a blender until smooth (beware the steam that escapes from the top of the blender, it’s very hot). Return the pureed soup to the pot, stir in the cilantro, vinegar/lime juice and salt and pepper, to taste. Serve.

https://cookieandkate.com/2016/spicy-vegan-black-bean-soup/

Chopped Greek Salad

Yield: Recipe yields 6 to 8 side servings or 3 to 4 meal-sized servings. If you store the salad separately from the vinaigrette, it will keep well for up to 4 days.

INGREDIENTS
10 ounces chopped romaine lettuce* (about 2 medium or 3 small heads, chopped)
1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 medium cucumber (about 8 ounces), seeded and chopped
1 yellow or orange bell pepper
1/2 medium red onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup pitted and halved Kalamata olives
6 ounces feta cheese, sliced into 1/4” cubes (about 1 1/4 cups)
1 can of chickpeas (optional)

Greek vinaigrette

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 medium cloves garlic, pressed or minced
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon salt, more to taste
Pinch of red pepper flakes, for heat (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

In a large serving bowl, combine the chopped lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, pepper, onion, parsley, olives and feta. Toss the ingredients together and set aside.

To prepare the vinaigrette, combine all of the ingredients in a liquid measuring cup or OXO’s Twist & Pour Dressing Mixer. Whisk (or twist) until blended. Taste, and add more vinegar if you’d like a more tangy dressing, or more honey for a more tame dressing.

If you’ll be serving all of the salad at once, go ahead and drizzle enough dressing in to lightly coat the salad and toss to combine. I prefer to store the salad and dressing separately so I can enjoy salad for a few days. Whisk the dressing again before drizzling (if the olive oil solidifies a bit in the refrigerator, don’t worry, that’s normal—just let it warm up for about 5 minutes at room temperature or microwave for 10 to 20 seconds).

https://cookieandkate.com/2018/chopped-greek-salad-recipe/