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Legume salads are ideal for lunch at the office, because they are filling, do not weigh you down and can be transported without loss.

Legume salads are ideal for a main meal , especially now that the weather is improving. They are rich in protein, fiber and many other nutrients, they are low in fat, they create a feeling of satiety and keep us full for longer . At the same time, they don’t weigh us down and we can continue our work without post-lunch naps!

The good thing about legume salads is that they are usually quite resilient if left with the dressing, with some exceptions of course, which have to do with whether they contain some more delicate leafy greens, like lettuce or arugula.

When we prepare such salads to transport them and consume them after some time, we are proactive in terms of the ingredients we choose , so that they do not shrivel or turn black (as, for example, happens with avocado).

Basic tips for successful legume salads

• Basic advice regarding all these salads is to properly boil the legumes . Some require soaking in water, others do not, while their boiling times differ. If we are going to include more than one legume in our salad, we make sure to boil them separately so that they all boil properly without half melting and the rest remaining uncooked.
• If we choose not to boil the legumes for speed, we can get some vacuum-boiled, such as chickpeas, or canned, such as various beans. We just make sure that the cans we choose are of good quality .

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• If we still don’t want to buy anything ready, we prefer pulses that boil easily and quickly, such as lentils, chickpeas and black-eyed peas.
• We combine the legume with some cereal. It is a very nutritious combination, offering high-quality organic protein almost equal to that of meat. Thus, a sense of satiety is created.
• If we absolutely want to add avocado or some other delicate material to our salad, we can take it whole with us and add it just before consumption.
• Accordingly, if the dressing we want to add is creamier or “heavy” than a simple vinegar (eg something with tahini) and our ingredients are more delicate, we can take the dressing together in a jar and add it last moment . Thus, we can even add lettuce or arugula to our salad, without fearing that it will get dirty like in the aromatic salad with beans .
• A necessary condition for a delicious legume salad is plenty of herbs . I really like to combine more than one, for more aromas and taste.

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• Dressings need simplicity in these salads, and because simple vinegar or lemon oil goes well with them, and for reasons of our own convenience and speed. We can e.g. to have left a bottle of oil and vinegar on the desk and add them there when we are about to eat. Alternatively, we can try delicious and healthy dressings, like the one I make for the chickpea salad .
• We can put boiled vegetables in our salad, which means that it will definitely keep well. There are many options, from broccoli and cauliflower to carrots, potatoes and zucchini. We always follow the seasons!
• Of leafy greens, a very hardy and healthy choice is kale .
• We try to make the right combinations, for example in the lentils we use fruits or vegetables rich in vitamin C, so that the absorption of iron takes place more correctly .