The holiday season is quickly approaching and with it comes a great deal of entertaining. Whether your guests are invited or unexpected, these mini Kale and Lentil Salad Spoons come together quickly and deliciously and are definite crowd-pleasers!
I attended an event a few weeks ago where the appetizers served left a bigger impression on me than the meal itself. The idea for these spoons stems from one of the many little bites served. The one I enjoyed the most had lobster in the mix, but my mister is allergic to seafood, so we omitted it from our version in order for him to partake.
We started with a couple small whole wheat tortillas. These were store-bought, but homemade would be even better. Once cut into wedges, push wedges into the wells of a lightly greased mini muffin pan, pointed edges facing up. Bake for a few minutes in a warm oven. Try not to forget them like we did - they burn easily. And voila! Edible spoons... well, scoops, really! We have also used a round cookie cutter to cut out smaller circles and bake them in the same manner to create little edible salad bowls. They didn't quite work for soup, however...
Mise en place! Once you have gathered and chopped your colourful array of ingredients, add a little coconut oil to a skillet and brown the onions and garlic, without burning them. Burnt equals bitter. Add all the other ingredients and continue to cook on low heat. It's ready when the kale has softened, but the peppers still have a little crunch. Allow to cool, then add to the baked tortilla spoons and serve!
As I start to share some of our savoury creations here on the blog, it's become apparent that I have two very different personalities reserved for cooking and baking. I am an OCD, weigh twice, recipe test a few times, no one allowed in the kitchen, stare at the oven while baking type of baker. On the flip side, I morph into the Swedish chef from the Muppet Show when I cook and I am usually accompanied by the dude. I'm slowly getting into the habit of documenting our cooking as meticulously as I would my baking. So be prepared to see a few more entertaining bites here leading up to the holidays.
There is absolutely nothing stopping you from enjoying a few of these Kale and Lentil Salad Spoons this weekend, or weeknight. The spoons can easily be made ahead and stored in an airtight container. They make perfect finger food for a cocktail party, or starters for a more formal dinner. Heck, we sometimes make as a main course when we are too lazy for anything more involved. The dude will sometimes add nuts for protein and that extra crunch. You just can't go wrong! Best part, other than the taste...no dishes to wash! (skillet notwithstanding).
What's your favourite party food or drink?
More Savoury Servings:
Maple Bacon Cheddar Flax Scones
Ingredients
- 2 -15 cm whole wheat tortillas 6 inches, use a larger size to create bigger spoons or bowls
- 40 g onions ¼ cup, diced
- 2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
- 135 g kale ¾ cup, finely chopped
- 151 g canned lentils ¾ cup, drained, rinsed and dried
- 42 g green pepper ¼ cup, coarsely chopped
- 42 g red pepper ¼ cup, coarsely chopped
- 3 g lemon zest 1 tsp
- generous pinch of Chipotle & Himalayan Pink Salt seasoning or sea salt
- 4 g dairy-free sour cream ½ tbsp
- coconut oil
- 1 small avocado optional, cubed
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 300ºF. Use a pastry brush to lightly grease the wells of a mini muffin pan.
- Cut the tortillas into uniformed wedges. I used a pizza cutter to cut the tortillas in half, then quarters and so on. For larger spoons, cut 8 wedges and 16 wedges for smaller spoons.
- Push the fatter end into the muffins pan wells, pointed ends up and bake for 5-10 minutes, depending on the level of crispness you want to achieve.
- While the tortillas are baking, heat a little oil in a medium skillet and cook the onion and garlic until lightly browned.
- Add the chopped kale and continue to cook until the kale begins to wilt.
- Add the lentils and green and red pepper and continue to cook for a couple minutes. The peppers should still have a bit of crunch, when ready.
- Remove from heat and add lemon zest, salt and sour cream. Stir with a wooden spoon until combined.
- Spoon into cooled tortilla spoons when ready to serve.
Goreti says
I've done something similar with sliced bread but I like the idea of the tortilla better. Definitely trying this. Pinned it to my appetizer board. Thanks for sharing.
Jacqueline says
Yeah! I have done the slice bread with bacon and eggs in a similar way. Fun either way!! Thanks for pinning.
Deb|EastofEdenCooking says
Oh yeah! The holidays are upon us! What a wonderful appetizer, easy and bursting with flavor!
Jacqueline says
Why does it feel like I just finished saying happy new year not too long ago... it can't be that time again already.
Regina says
These little bites look absolutely delicious. Like I want to stuff my face now! I love lentils. And I totally hear ya on the savory versus baking recipe testing front. It was a major adjustment for me. Baking is like a science to me where precision is key. Cooking is much more of a freestyle art were many things depend on taste, like the amount of certain seasonings to use etc... I love your guys' cooking style. Looking forward to more recipes
Jacqueline says
Thanks, Regina! Bizarre, right! I think you and I would have a blast in the kitchen. 🙂
Kelly - Life Made Sweeter says
I love seeing your savory side, these bites are so so adorable! The lentil, kale and pepper filling sound amazing with the tortilla base. The avocado finishes this off nicely too, they're the perfect little bites for any holiday party 🙂
Jacqueline says
Hmmm.. as opposed to my unsavoury side... LOL. Sometimes we fill them with guacamole as and enjoy them with a movie!
Sonali- The Foodie Physician says
These look so pretty and tasty! An absolutely perfect party app!
Jacqueline says
They will definitely see a lot of action this holiday season. Thanks for popping by and sharing!!
Jessica @ Jessica in the Kitchen says
These spoons are so cute and delicious looking! Honestly, this is one of the best ideas I have seen in a while!!
Jacqueline says
Thanks for the sweet comment, Jessica! They were quite a hit.
Shikha la mode says
This is such a good idea and way better than store-bought tortilla trips. Definitely going to use this handy trick!