
This week, the first sign of flowers and leaves put me into full Spring mode. My meals have been fresher than ever and I’m feeling on fire energy wise.
It’s about time!

The hot yoga sessions are also helping tremendously. (Thank you, by the way, for your great comments yesterday.) I’ve been to 4 hot yoga sessions now and you could pretty much say that I’m addicted. But, more on that later.

[We need to mow the lawn and weed the garden! eek…it begins]
Yesterday, I was craving an old favourite- the Protein Power Goddess Bowl that I adapted from The Coup Cookbook. I’ve been smitten with this salad since I made it last year and the tahini-Lemon dressing is just to die for!

My mission yesterday was simple: To lighten up this salad for Spring.
I wouldn’t call this salad heavy per say, but I was never crazy about the 1/2 cup of olive oil that the original recipe calls for. I knew with a bit of work, I could create a lighter Tahini dressing that would taste just as tempting as the original.

Lightened Up Protein Power Goddess Bowl
Adapted from Protein Power Goddess Bowl, which was adapted from The Coup Cookbook.
Yield: 6 cups
Ingredients:
- 1 cup uncooked green lentils (yield 2 & 3/4 cups cooked)
- 1 cup uncooked speltberries (yield 2 cups cooked) OR grain of choice, like brown rice
- 1/2 tbsp olive oil, for sautéing
- 1/2 red onion (~1 & 1/3 cups), chopped
- 3-4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 large tomato, chopped
- 3 cups spinach or kale, roughly chopped (I used Lacinato kale)
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley, minced
- 1 batch of Lightened Up Tahini-Lemon Dressing (recipe below)
- Kosher salt & black pepper, to taste
- Lemon Wedges & lemon zest, to garnish
Directions:
1. Cook lentils and speltberries (or grain of choice) according to package directions. I did this the night before to save time. Drain and set aside.
2. Prepare the Lightened Up tahini-Lemon dressing in food processor (see below for recipe).
3. In a large skillet over low-medium heat, add your olive oil and sauté the chopped onion and minced garlic for a few minutes, being careful not to burn. Now add in the chopped red pepper and tomato and sauté for another 7-8 minutes.
4. Stir in the chopped kale or spinach and sauté for another few minutes, just until tender. Stir in the full batch of tahini-Lemon dressing, the cooked & drained grains and lentils, and simmer on low for another few minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the minced parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste and garnish with lemon wedges and zest. Makes 6 cups.

Lightening up the Tahini-Lemon dressing was a huge success! I cut down the oil by 75% and the dressing still tasted wonderful.
Here are the changes I made to the lightened up version:
- I added another garlic clove (to make 3) (to add more flava!)
- I added 2-3 more tbsp water (to thin it out more)
I was worried the taste would be compromised but it was just as addicting like I remembered. Even if you don’t want to make this lentil salad, you could always make the dressing and use it for salads all week long. It is truly one of my most loved homemade dressings to date.

Oh She Glows
Lightened Up Tahini-Lemon Dressing
Adapted from Tahini-Lemon Dressing.
Yield: Just under 1 cup of dressing
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup Tahini
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
- 1/4 cup Nutritional yeast or a bit more, to taste
- 2-4 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil, to taste
- 1 tsp kosher salt + freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
- 3 tbsp water, or as needed
Directions:
1. In a food processor, add all ingredients and process until smooth. Makes just under 1 cup.
Once you cook your desired grains and make the dressing, you simply sauté some vegetables of your choice until tender.

Yesterday, I added Lacinato Kale instead of spinach and I loved it! It’s less bitter than regular kale.

Mix in your grains and dressing.

When it’s all cooked, remove from heat and stir in the minced Parsley for another kick of fresh flavour.

Taste test… Uncontrollably!

Serve with a lemon wedge and zest and you have yourself a protein and fibre packed dinner! It’s creamy & comforting, with a tangy kick that is just irresistible.
This will definitely be my go-to version of this salad from now on. We didn’t miss the 6 tablespoons of oil at all.

Have a good one!






{ 190 comments… read them below or add one }
i am young pup when it comes to eating naturally and healthy. i’m interested in this recipe however concerned with two questions … 1. how well does this salad store? i’m the only one in my family eating this way. 2. do you eat this warm or cold? leftovers warm or cold? … silly questions i know.
I would guess that it would keep for 3-5 days. You could also cut the batch in half if you wanted just 3 cups. I eat it both cold and warm. It is excellent fresh out of the skillet though. I do have it for lunch cold sometimes too and it is good!
I have been eyeing up this recipe for awhile and the lightened up versiom is just what I was looking for! Def making tonight mmm :)
I love all of the colors, and the fiber and protein make it a great meal!
that dressing sounds so yummy!!! I just bought tahini yesterday!! I also love kale and we grow it in our garden!!! So yummy!!!
Major droool happening right now! Lentils and spelt/wheat berries are two of my favorite foods! I love the color and nutrition of this dish……aaaah it looks so good!
Ooh yum this dressing sounds heavenly! I hadn’t tried putting tahini in salad dressing until just a little while ago but it is SO tasty! Gorgeous photos Ange – the colours have got me in a spring mood too, even though it’s not looking overly sunny out today! PS. You’re turning into a hot yoga holic!! I bet you’ll be showing me up next time! Do they know you by name yet? ;)
haha they know me as the girl with the intro pass that never swipes properly maybe! lol
I can’t wait to try this! I make your original a couple of times per month and I’m happy to be able to lighten it up a bit! We’ve gotta get our bods ready for the summer right!?!
That salad looks so fresh and vibrant — I just love the colors. I am definitely in Spring mode as well!
That dressing sounds fab!
“Light” is exactly what I need today! It is so HOT out!! That dressing sounds so so good, it sounds like somethihg that is going to become very versatile in my kitchen!
I love dishes like this. This week I made something similar with quinoa. I also tossed in a huge bunch of fresh herbs (savory, mint, and basil) and lemon and orange juice and zest. Delicious!
Yum! That dish looks like it would be scrumptious! I need to make it asap!
I have SO much kale and spinach right now from my CSA — this looks like a lovely way to use some of it :)
Agreed! I need to use up this kale from the farmer’s market, and this recipe sounds like just the ticket.
This looks so good. I’m not a big fan of parsley, do you think cilantro would work as a substitute?
I’m not sure…Im sitting here trying to taste the flavour combos in my head! I would portion a small serving out of the skillet and then add a bit of minced cilantro to see if you like it first.
I’m like a year and a half late on this, I know, but I finally made my own version of this last night with what I had lying around the house. That mean subbing quinoa for spelt berries (definitely worked, but I’m going to buy spelt next time just for the texture), and cilantro for parsley since one of my chickens got out and ate all my parsley. I think parsley would be divine, but I really liked the cilantro, too! Then again, I’m a big cilantro lover. So, yes, it does work (in my opinion).
Looks so yummy! I’m so into combining lentils with grains these days! The other day, I made a warm salad of brown rice + brown lentils + curry spices and veggies + hard boiled egg. I know you don’t eat eggs, but man, it was so good! Thanks for this! Love the idea of using tahini in it! And lacinato kale is my favorite vegetable ever!
This is the type of recipe I could eat all the time. I would most likely make a huge batch and a huge bowl of the dressing too. :)
The dressing I am really excited for, I usuaslly make one just like it, but maybe add some crushed red pepper flakes. I love my heat whenever I can.
Have a great day!
i’ll take light and flavorful any day! this looks absolutely perfect for any meal really, even breakfast :) i’m actually going to be taking my first hot yoga class next week! i’m excited and a little nervous, but can’t wait :)
I cant wait to see how you like it!
This sounds delicious! Yup, I’ll be making this for dinner tonight!
Hmmm sounds delicious. lemon + tahini would be the perfect spring combo.
Yaaay!!!! Awesome recipe!!! And lightened up means you get to eat more, right??? :D
yes….double yes :)
Looks delicious, Angela. You’ve inspired me to my save money going to restaurants like Fresh or Urban Herbivore by making myself a nourishing power bowl at home! Cant wait to dig into some of that zesty tahini goodness. :)
Enjoy!
Aha! Now I will definitely try this! Love how you reduced the oil. I always cringe when I see dressings with 1/2 cup olive oil!
I love this adaptation! It’s so true with nearly ANY recipe – you really don’t miss the oil when you cut it down
You have been on a recipe roll lately, girl! Keep it up! :)
This recipe looks so delicious! I have to try it out. I love the flavor profile!
Thanks for making that salad light. It is so easy to reduce the oil and still have a great tasting product. I sometimes think oil is a tongue/texture thing more than taste. This looks fantastic!
That is a good point! I would have to agree.
I had the original recipe bookmarked to make, and now I am excited to try the healthier version. I love nutritional yeast on popcorn, but have yet to try it much in cooking. Thanks for the recipe!
I never thought a bowl of lentils and veggies could look and sound so good!
The dressing looks amazing too. Now I know what to make with my leftover tahini. :-)
This looks absolutely delicious, Angela! I love lentils, though they do tend to lend themselves to winter dishes. This is a wonderful way to dress them up for spring! :) Thank you!
This looks so good. I think when there are a lot of colors in a food.. it just tastes so much better.. and well.. this definitely has a lot of color!
What an awesome idea to make a more summery version! Love the recipe!
Oh my goodness, that looks amazing! Thanks for sharing.
The salad looks great and I am not a stranger to full fat, full calorie, full sugar anything..but oil. Ugh 1/2 c of oil just makes most anything taste like an Exxon Oil Slick :) So I never use the full amount of oil b/c it’s usually overkill. Love that you lightened it up and the flavor was still great. Probably BETTER without all the oil :)
Love the vertical shot with the soft blur of the bowls/lemons in the background. If you can get that image, in it’s entirety or most of it, into the TS or FG boxes without compromising composition, please tell me what SIZES you used b/c it’s a photo like that that I just can never get to fit in entirety but you really need most of it for the full effect.
It’s 3:40pm, I haven’t eaten lunch and this looks ridiculously good.
what a beautiful dish!
I love that you are addicted to hot yoga, because I also tried it for the first time this week (today was day 3) and it feels amazing!! I am addicted too and now don’t want to miss a day!
Amazing colours in that bowl, looks and sounds delish, this one is going to the ‘to make soon’ list.
Glad to hear you enjoyed it too! :) Im obsesssssssed. ahah
SO many gorgeous photos in this post. All of the colors are beautiful. <3 This lightened up version sounds great to me!!
I LOVE this recipe! I made it a while back and was just thinking about adding it to my grocery list soon! I have a question though, I don’t have any nutritional yeast… do you have any ideas of what I could use instead? (Just a note: I’m not vegan but I love healthy and delicious recipes :) )
I think it might work without nutritional yeast, although you might have to adjust the other ingredients to taste :)
tahini is so addictingly delicious, i’m sure I would love this dressing. And your photos are especially gorgeous with all of the bright colors.
Putting this dish on my dining wishlist for my upcoming visit ;)
Noted :)