Roasted Vegetable Lentil Salad
This healthy, vegan roasted vegetable lentil salad is the perfect cool weather comfort food. Easy to make and perfect for meal prep too!
Table of Contents
Features
- healthy comfort food: comforting and nourishing, this hearty salad is perfect for Fall and Winter
- nutrition features: high-fiber, high-protein, low-fat
- dietary needs: vegan, gluten-free, nut-free and soy-free
- meal prep-friendly: can be made up to 4 days in advance
Ingredient Notes
- vegetables – I used onion, carrot, zucchini and sweet potato but we’ll cover alternatives below…it’s easy to customize!
- herbs – dried and fresh herbs both work just fine, I used dried rosemary and thyme
- lentils – use green or brown lentils for best results
- hemp seeds – totally optional, just added for some extra protein and healthy fats
- dressing – you’ll need balsamic vinegar and maple syrup…you can sub agave or honey for the maple syrup if needed
Step by Step Method
Before You Start: Preheat the oven to 425 F.
Step 1. Chop up all the vegetable and either place them on 1-2 baking trays and mix the rest of the ingredients right on the pan, or add everything to a large mixing bowl to mix. I just do it right on the pan….less dishes!
Drizzle with 1 tsp of olive oil, the fresh or dried rosemary and thyme and a pinch of salt and pepper. Roast the veggies for 35-40 minutes until tender and browned.
Step 2. While the veggies are roasting, cook the lentils:
- bring 2.25 cups broth or water to a boil stovetop
- add 1 cup dry green lentils, cover and reduce heat to a light simmer
- cook for 20-25 minutes until the lentils are tender
Step 3. Mix the balsamic vinegar and maple syrup together in a small dish.
Divide the cooked lentils and roasted vegetables between 4 bowls and drizzle the sauce over each before serving.
FAQs
I recommend sticking to brown, green, black or French (du puy) lentils. These varieties of lentils all hold their shape, whereas red lentils become mushy when cooked.
Mix and match approximately 10 cups of the following: squash, bell peppers, carrot, sweet potato, potato, brussel sprouts, beet, onion, zucchini, cauliflower, broccoli, turnip, parsnip, cabbage or mushrooms. I’d recommend keeping it to 4-5 varieties.
The lentils can be made up to 5 days in advance. The roasted vegetables can be made 3-4 days in advance but I’d keep it on the shorter side for best results as they can get soggy. The assembled salad can be made ahead/stored 4 days in advance or but I’d recommend consuming within 3 days for the best texture and flavour.
Roasted Vegetable Tips
- Flip them. Flip the veggies/shake the pan halfway through for even cooking and browning.
- Go high heat! I like to roast vegetables at 425 degrees F but anywhere from 400 to 450 degrees works. The high temp results in a beautiful, deep brown caramelized exterior.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan. It can be tempting to pile the veggies high on one pan or use a roasting dish but it’s best to lay the veggies in a single-layer, allowing for a bit of space between the pieces to allow for both moisture to escape and even cooking. Piling them up will result in soggy veggies.
- What about oil? You’ll find recommendations online to use a lot of oil when roasting veggies. I don’t find this necessary. I used just 1 tsp for this whole recipe with good results.
- What about seasoning? I usually go with savoury herbs like rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper and this is what I used for this recipe. Even just salt and pepper is delicious though if you want to keep it simple.
- Chop evenly. Chop the veggies in equal sizes for even cooking. Now, technically, you should start roasting harder veggies like squash, carrot and sweet potato first before adding softer veggies like zucchini. I don’t do this. Instead, I chop the harder veggies in slightly smaller pieces and go a bit larger with veggies like peppers, zucchini and onion.
Related Recipes
- Roasted Squash Farro Salad
- Vegan Roasted Beet Salad
- Fall Harvest Salad with Maple Tahini Dressing
- Roasted Carrot, Kale and Quinoa Bowl
- Roasted Squash Salad with Marinated Chickpeas
Did you try this recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Click here to leave a review.
PrintRoasted Vegetable Lentil Salad
-
Prep Time: 10 mins
-
Cook Time: 35 mins
-
Total Time: 45 minutes
-
Yield: 4
-
Category: Main Dish
-
Method: Oven, Stovetop
-
Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
This wonderful lentil salad is full of flavor but so simple to make. Roast the veggies, cook the lentils, mix and enjoy. This salad works well for food prep as the flavors are only better the next day. Enjoy anytime for a hearty, rustic, nourishing meal.
Ingredients
- 1 white onion, sliced (approx. 2 cups chopped, 300 g)
- 4 carrots, chopped (approx. 3.5 cups chopped, 450 g)
- 2 zucchini, chopped in large chunks (approx. 4 cups chopped, 500 g)
- 1 medium sweet potato, cubed (approx. 3 heaping cups, 425 g)
- 1 tbsp each fresh rosemary and thyme or 1 tsp each dried rosemary and thyme
- 1 cup uncooked green or brown lentils
- 2 1/4 cups vegetable broth or water, for cooking lentils
- 4 tbsp hemp seeds, optional
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbsp pure maple syrup or raw honey
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Chop all the veggies and spread on baking trays in a single layer. You may need 2 or 3 trays depending on the size. Drizzle them with the 1 tsp of olive oil (if it’s easier, add all the chopped veggies to a large bowl and toss with the oil and spices, then add to trays) and sprinkle over the rosemary and thyme. Add a pinch of salt and pepper as well. Use your hands to mix them all up until they’re well-coated.
- Roast the veggies in the oven for 35-40 minutes until tender and browned.
- While the veggies are roasting. Bring the broth or water to a boil on the stovetop then add the lentils, cover and reduce heat to a light simmer. Cook for 20-25 minutes until the lentils are tender.
- Once the veggies and lentils are cooked, either add everything to a large bowl and toss with the balsamic vinegar, maple syrup and hemp seeds, or divide the lentils, roasted vegetables and hemp seeds between 4 bowls or containers then mix the balsamic vinegar and maple syrup together in a small dish and drizzle over each serving (this is how I like to serve it). Season with salt and pepper if desired and serve right away.
Notes
Storing: Let cool then store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days. For best results if making in advance, store sauce separately until serving.
Lentils: If using pre-cooked or canned lentils, you’ll need approximately 2.5 cups. It doesn’t have to be exact. I recommend sticking to brown green, black or French (du puy) lentils. These varieties of lentils all hold their shape, whereas red lentils become mushy when cooked.
Vegetable Options: Mix and match approximately 10 cups of any of the following: squash, bell peppers, carrot, sweet potato, potato, brussel sprouts, beet, onion, zucchini, cauliflower, broccoli, turnip, parsnip, cabbage or mushrooms. I’d recommend keeping it to 4-5 types of vegetables.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe
- Calories: 417
- Sugar: 21 g
- Fat: 6 g
- Carbohydrates: 76 g
- Fiber: 13 g
- Protein: 19 g
Keywords: vegetable lentil salad, roasted vegetable salad
Originally published on December 17, 2018. Updated with new photos and text on September 28, 2020.
Another KILLER recipe. I love that it’s so simple yet so delicious. I was able to meal prep this and a baked oatmeal recipe in less than 2 hours with breakfast and lunch done for my whole work week ahead. The dressing sounds unassuming, but it packs a punch. I omitted the carrot (personal preference) and added a side of rice. I’ve never made very flavorful lentils before, but using vegetable broth instead of water really did the trick to turn them into tiny savory pockets of hearty goodness. Would definitely recommend this recipe!
★★★★★
Thank you, Andrea! I’m so glad you loved it!
Just made this with rice! Doubled the recipe so that I can feed our family of 4 for 2 nights. Soooooo perfect!
★★★★★
Yay! I’m so glad to hear that, Samantha! Thanks so much for leaving a review!
This dish was a VERY PLEASANT surprise! At first I thought “…this is just gonna taste like a bowl of roasted vegetables” but not at all, it was sooo good! As someone who doesn’t particularly enjoy eating vegetables, I can genuinely say I ate this meal HAPPILY. The dressing is modest yet delicious, and the lentils are super tasty when made in the broth. This recipe is even quicker to prepare if you have a good chopping tool – I used my food processor to chop the carrots and zucchini pretty quickly.
★★★★★
Amazing! So glad you loved it, Gabriela! It really is such a good one for a someone whole doesn’t love veggies a ton. Thanks for your review!!
Made this last night for supper. Used Canned Brown Lentils with Sweet Potatoes, Carrots, Onions, Zucchini and Red Peppers. Didn’t have Rosemary so i subbed Basil instead. Turned out really great! So much flavour!!
Perfect! So glad you enjoyed it, Gwyn. Thanks for the review.
We loved this. It was so easy and nourishing. I was afraid I would not like the lentils in it, and I thought about swapping it with another bean. Nevertheless, since I had lentils cooked up, I stayed with that. One bit and I was glad I kept the lentils. It was delicious! I didn’t have an onion so I roasted a 1/2 bulb of garlic. That made my husband happy!😆
★★★★★
Hahah amazing. So glad you guys enjoyed it!!
Made it last night. So tasty and filling. Added some broccoli to the side. Will definitely make this again. Thankyou for another delicious recipe. X
★★★★★
Loved it. I added some cubed roasted beats and some goat cheese on top. Wonderful!!
★★★★★
So yummy! Definitely making again. Was surprised at how good it was given that the only 2 herbs are rosemary and thyme. And the dressing was just as simple but again, delish and you can’t even detect the sugar! Thanks for sharing!
★★★★★
You’re most welcome! So glad to hear you enjoyed it!
This is such a great salad. When you have roasted vegetables on hand, anything is possible. Adding some tahini to the dressings brings it up a notch.
★★★★★
Thanks Jan! So true, roasted veggies go with everything! And tahini of course 🙂 Thanks for the rating.
Do you just reheat leftovers in the microwave?
I just eat them cold but yes, you could reheat in the microwave, in the oven or in a pan on the stovetop.
So tasty, it goes great with couscous
★★★★★
Flavorful, delicious, amazing looking recipe! Posh enough to serve to friends, easy enough to make everyday. Just made this recipe. Followed all your tips! The balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, hemp seeds dressing is sublime. I tossed it over the roasted vegetables and a mix of red, white quinoa, millet and buckwheat. Perfect combination of crunch and juicy goodness. Thank you, Deryn.
★★★★★
That sounds amazing!! I totally agree, this is so easy but seems fancier. I’ll be eating it often this winter. I love the grain combo you used! Thanks for the comment!
This sounds delicious! When you cook the lentils, do you cover them?
Yep, I cover them.