Perfect Beluga Lentil Salad with Duck Breast

Step-by-step method

At a glance

This high-protein salad brings together tender seared duck breast and quick-cooking beluga lentils with roasted pumpkin and pomegranate for a fresh, satisfying meal. The trickiest part is getting the duck perfectly juicy—a quick sear followed by a brief oven finish does the job, so timing is key to avoid drying it out. Everything comes together in about an hour, making it a weeknight-friendly option that's gluten-free, lactose-free, and impressive enough for dinner guests.

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Prepare the pumpkin

Wash the hokkaido pumpkin, scoop out the seeds and slice it. There's no need to peel it. Season the slices with salt and pepper on both sides and grill them on an electric grill. Alternatively, arrange them on a baking sheet and roast in a preheated oven.

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450 gram
Hokkaido Squash
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Cook the lentils

Cook the lentils in salted water according to the package instructions. They'll need about 20 minutes.

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350 gram
Red Lentils
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Prepare the duck breasts

Rinse the duck breasts, pat them dry and season all over with salt and pepper. Preheat the oven to 200°C and get a small roasting dish with a lid, or an ovenproof dish with a lid, ready.

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2 piece
Skinless Duck Breast

3 gram
Salt

3 gram
Black Pepper

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Heat the pan

Heat a pan and add a drizzle of oil — just a little, since the duck skin will release plenty of fat on its own, so there's no need to overdo it with the oil. Just enough so the pan isn't completely dry.

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10 gram
Olive Oil
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Sear the breasts

Place the duck breasts skin-side down in the hot pan. Sear on this side for about 5 to 6 minutes, keeping the heat not quite at full so the skin doesn't burn. Turn and sear the other side for another 4 minutes — no longer, or the meat will dry out and turn tough.
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Finish in the oven

After searing, transfer the meat to the ovenproof dish. Cover with the lid or foil and place in the preheated oven. Leave it there for about 6 minutes. This step is for anyone who likes their duck juicy and tender — it makes the breasts noticeably softer.
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Let it rest

Take the cooked duck breasts out of the oven and let them rest in the dish while you finish preparing the rest of the dish.
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Prepare the salad base

Drain the cooked lentils and transfer them to a large bowl. Add the grilled or roasted pumpkin cut into pieces, the juicy red pomegranate seeds and chopped hazelnuts. Mix well and taste — you may want to add a pinch more salt and pepper.

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1 piece
Pomegranate

100 gram
Unpeeled Hazelnuts
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Add the duck

Slice the rested duck breasts. Pour the pan drippings from the roasting dish over the lentil salad and stir through.
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Serve

Serve in a bowl or on a plate, with the salad topped with the sliced duck breast.

Perfect Beluga Lentil Salad with Duck Breast

Name: Protein-Packed Beluga Lentil Salad
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 59 min
Total time: 91 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: 3 gram Salt; 450 gram Hokkaido Squash; 1 piece Pomegranate; 350 gram Red Lentils; 100 gram Unpeeled Hazelnuts; 3 gram Black Pepper; 10 gram Olive Oil; 2 piece Skinless Duck Breast

bohynekuchyne

Prep 5 min Cook 59 min

Plus 10 min of resting (not counted in active time)

8 Ingredients

10 Steps

Hard Difficulty

Ingredients — what you'll need

You only need 8 ingredients

Adjust servings

What's in it?

753 kcal

Calories

86 g

Carbohydrates

24 g

Fats

52 g

Proteins

The nutritional information is an estimate and may vary based on the specific ingredients used.

About this recipe

I recently made a really delicious dish, high in protein and with wonderfully fresh pomegranate. Have you tried the tiny black lentils called beluga? They cook quickly, hold their shape beautifully, don't cause bloating, are packed with protein and taste fantastic. A perfect meal during pregnancy, too.

Gluten-free Lactose-free Poultry High-protein Salad Healthy

Step-by-step method

At a glance

Prepare the pumpkin

For this step

Cook the lentils

For this step

Prepare the duck breasts

For this step

Perfect Beluga Lentil Salad with Duck Breast

Ingredients — what you'll need

What's in it?

About this recipe