We used honey and feta, but maple syrup and goat cheese would be equally tasty. For the lentils, the amount of water and length of cooking time varies; the larger brown lentils take 3 parts water to one part lentils. Don’t worry if you end up with more than a cup of cooked lentils – this recipe is flexible.
Plus it’s yummy, quick enough for a weeknight, and reheats nicely. What more could you want? Okay, endless, no-calorie chocolate chip cookies would be nice, but that’s another post! (I wish!) We served it with pan-roasted salmon, but it would also go beautifully with chicken or any other fish, or all by itself.
Roasted Carrot and Lentil Salad
For the salad:
1 cup cooked lentils (1/3 to ½ cup dried, depending on the size and variety)
1-1/2 pounds carrots (8 medium to large)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
½ teaspoon dried thyme
kosher salt
fresh ground pepper
2 cups fresh spinach (about 2 large handfuls)
½ cup crumbled feta or goat cheese
For the dressing:
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 small shallot, diced (or sliced, if you’re using an immersion blender)
1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
2 teaspoons Dijon-style mustard
additional salt and pepper, to taste
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
In a loosely covered pot on the stovetop, start the lentils cooking while you prep the rest of the ingredients and roast the carrots.
Scrub and trim the carrots. Slice into rounds, about 1/4" thick. In a medium bowl, mix the 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup, and thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Add carrots and stir to coat. Place on sheet pan and spread evenly, in a single layer. Roast 20-25 minutes, stirring midway through, until fork-tender and the glaze is just beginning to brown.
Meanwhile, rinse the spinach. Tear the leaves if they are large and place in a large serving bowl. Combine the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until emulsified, or blend with an immersion blender or small food processor.
When the carrots are done, allow them to cool for a few minutes. Add the cooked lentils to the bowl with the spinach, then add the carrots and about half the dressing. Stir to coat. Taste and add additional salt and pepper if needed. Top with the crumbled cheese.
Serve with the remaining dressing.
Makes 2-4 servings, depending on size.
Bon appetit!
Leslie Budewitz is the author of the Spice Shop Mysteries set in Seattle's Pike Place Market, and the Food Lovers’ Village Mysteries, set in NW Montana. As Alicia Beckman, she writes moody, standalone suspense, most recently Blind Faith. She is the winner of Agatha Awards in three categories: Best Nonfiction (2011), Best First Novel (2013), and Best Short Story (2018). Her latest book is Between a Wok and a Dead Place, the 7th Spice Shop mystery.
A past president of Sisters in Crime and national board member of Mystery Writers of America, Leslie lives in northwest Montana with her husband, a musician and doctor of natural medicine, and their cat, an avid bird-watcher.
Swing by Leslie's website and join the mailing list for her seasonal newsletter. And join her on Facebook where she shares book news and giveaways from her writer friends, and talks about food, mysteries, and the things that inspire her.
Thank you for the healthy recipe. Honey and feta are delicious together. aprilbluetx at yahoo dot com
ReplyDeleteEnjoy!
DeleteThank you once more for sharing another exciting recipe, Leslie! A lot of lentils are consumed in this household, and this is a great recipe to use. I am sure it is delicious. BTW, your birthday cake is absolutely a keeper! I almost ate the whole cake by myself. I do have to confess that I disliked the sour cream sauce, so I enjohyed the cake immensely without it. Thank you so much again! Luis at ole dot travel
ReplyDeleteGood morning, Luis! So glad you enjoyed the cake -- you could certainly substitute another glaze, or skip it as you did -- that keeps the celebration going!
DeleteThis recipe looks delicious. I like lentils and look forward to trying this.
ReplyDeleteIt's super easy and flexible -- enjoy!
DeleteThank you for the Roasted Carrot and Lentil Salad recipe! I'm going to have to try it - and soon.
ReplyDelete2clowns at arkansas dot net
Enjoy!
DeleteWhat a great looking and tasting dish.
ReplyDeleteI'm all in for lentils, goat cheese, and feta! Bring them on!
It is rather pretty, isn't it? Enjoy!
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