Can I make this in advance?

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 Lentil Salad Recipe

Scale

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