Crunchy savory sprinkle
If you like regular granola, you will most likely like this crunchy savory sprinkle too! It is very similar to a granola but savory, so you can sprinkle it on your salad, on warm bowls, on soups, on literally anything you want to top with something crunchy and protein rich.
When I make it I use slightly different things every time, depending on what I have at home and what I feel like, but the base is usually the same; lentils, oats, seeds, nuts and spices. The recipe below is one version I like, but don't be afraid to change the type of nuts or seeds or spices. One time I did a version with ground cumin, cayenne pepper and paprika powder instead of the spices below, and that was very good with Mexican salads for instance. Another time I used turmeric, cinnamon and chili which was good to top indian curries with. The flavors below are very versatile, so therefore I recommend to start with them.
Ingredients:
Sprinkle:
- 1 cup cooked puy lentils
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
- 1/4 cup sesame seeds
- 1/4 cup walnuts
- 1/4 cup pecans (or hazelnuts)
- 2 tbsp fresh, or 1 tbsp dried thyme
- 2 tbsp fresh, or 1 tbsp dried rosemary
- salt and pepper
Dressing:
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp grainy mustard
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp water
Preheat the oven to 180°C / 360°F.
Cook the lentils until they are soft, but not mushy (therefore I don't recommend red lentils but puy lentils, or alternatively green lentils). Strain off as much water as possible. If you prefer to use precooked lentils that is fine too.
Finely chop the herbs (leaves only) unless you are using dried herbs.
Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl and add the herbs.
Blend all the ingredients for the dressing, whisk until smooth. Pour the dressing over the moist and still warm lentils and mix well.
Pour the lentils onto a oven safe tray and spread out well. Sprinkle the dry ingredients over the lentils, mix it gently, avoid making it mushy.
Bake for about 10-15 minutes and then stir everything around to avoid anything to burn. Bake for another 10 minutes and then see if it looks ready. Take it out from the oven when it starts to be crunchy and golden. It shouldn't be super hard and dry, just crunchy.
Store in a glass jar in a dry place, not fridge, and consume within a week or two.
The inspiration to this recipe comes from the Green Kitchen Stories. I follow them on Instagram and around a year ago I saw a photo of a their savory granola and thought that was a brilliant idea and started to make my own right away. I love it so much that I now almost always have a jar with some type of crunchy savory sprinkle at home to use whenever I want.