Italian Lentil Salad with Roasted Vegetables
A vegetarian salad that is served cold or room temperature made from lentils and roasted root vegetables dressed in a simple olive oil and lemon vinaigrette. It's perfect for working moms, potlucks, and picnics.
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 3 cups squash of your choice peeled and cut into bite-size ¾ - ½ inch pieces
- 1 cup carrots peeled and cut into bite-size ¾ - ½ inch pieces
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 cup French green lentils or other variety, see substitutions
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
- 1/2 cup crumbled gorgonzola cheese or feta or goat cheese
For the Dressing
- 2 cloves garlic
- 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp lemon juice or red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp salt
- freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- To make the dressing, slowly drizzle the olive oil into the vinegar or lemon juice while whisking constantly. The dressing should start to thicken. Add the salt, pepper to taste and maple syrup. Crush the garlic cloves, remove the skin and add to the dressing.
- Preheat the oven to 400° C with the rack in the middle.
- Peel and cut your vegetables and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and drizzle with the olive oil. Toss well and spread them evenly on the baking sheet.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, turning occasionally until tender and lightly browned. If you like them extra crispy, leave them in for an additional five minutes.
- Cook the lentils while the vegetables are roasting by bringing a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water and add the lentils. Simmer according to package instructions until al dente or just done (not mushy), about 15-25 minutes.
- Drain the lentils well and add them to a large bowl. Remove the garlic clove from the dressing and add it to the lentils. Toss gently until all the lentils are well coated.
- Add the roasted vegetables and chopped parsley to the bowl and toss gently.
- Crumble the cheese on top, if using and serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
Substitutions:
- Use canned lentils if you don’t have time to cook dried lentils.
- French green lentils are the best type for a salad because they hold their shape and structure a bit more than other varieties. If you don’t have French lentils, use whatever you have but be sure not to over cook them.
- Instead of gorgonzola cheese, add crumbled goat or feta cheese
- If you don’t have squash and carrots, roast other similar vegetables such as sweet potatoes, cauliflower, and turnips.
- Use any combination of roasted vegetables.
- Use any variety of squash that you like.
- The cooking time for lentils vary from variety to variety. Set a timer for the minimum time as indicated on the package. You want the lentils to be al dente or with a small bite, not super soft and falling apart.
- Make this Italian lentil salad with roasted vegetables ahead of time and keep it in the fridge for no-cook lunches all week.
- You can keep Italian lentil salad with roasted vegetables at room temperature. It’s great for potlucks, picnics and to bring to the office.
- This Italian lentil salad is naturally vegan if you don’t add the cheese.
- Cut all the vegetables to roughly the same size to ensure even baking time.
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