Lentil Salad with Roasted Vegetables (Gluten Free)

This Lentil Salad is a show-stopper! With flavorful layers to dig into, this is one of those salads you’d easily find on a restaurant menu, yet it’s so simple to make at home. Atop a bed of salted massaged kale sits perfectly tender and nutrient-rich lentils, and over those you get a bed of colorful roasted veggies. A topping of roasted pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries, and feta adds so much more texture and flavor while a simple homemade Maple-Dijon vinaigrette brings it all together. This is one epic salad you could enjoy as a main dish on its own or as a side dish to complement your favorite cooked protein.

This post was created in partnership with the Northern Pulse Growers Association.

Ingredients To Make This Lentil Salad Recipe

Here’s what to gather to make this epic and flavorful salad today: 

• Sweet potato – this deep orange veggie is rich in vitamin A and vitamin C; you’ll need 2 cups diced
• Brussels sprouts
• Red onion – may sub a yellow onion or thin strips of red bell pepper
• Garlic cloves – you’ll need 3 cloves to split between the roasted veggies and the vinaigrette
• Green lentils – may sub brown lentils, red lentils, black lentils, French lentils, or beluga lentils, or use canned lentils (that you rinse and drain first) to make this hearty salad even faster
• Curly kale – we prefer kale as the base of this salad since it stands up well over time, but may sub arugula
• Roasted pumpkin seeds – we prefer roasted and salted pumpkin seeds (pepitas) in this salad; may sub sunflower seeds
• Chopped pecans – may sub walnuts or pistachios, or omit for nut-free
• Dried cherries – may sub dried cranberries or snipped dried apricots
• Crumbled feta – adds creamy texture, salty flavor, and bit of calcium; may sub goat cheese crumbles, blue cheese, or Parmesan cheese, or omit for a dairy-free salad
• Avocado oil or olive oil
• Apple cider vinegar – may sub red wine vinegar or lemon juice

• Pure maple syrup – may sub honey 
• Dijon mustard – may sub brown mustard
• Fresh thyme – may sub dried thyme or sub dried or fresh cilantro or fresh mint
• Fine salt and black pepper

For the complete directions and ingredient amounts, scroll down to the recipe card below. All of our recipes include the nutrition information, listing kcal, protein, carbohydrates, fiber, sugar, sodium, total fat, and more per serving.

How To Make Lentil Salad with Roasted Veggies

This layered lentil recipe comes together in five distinct steps: 

1. Make the roasted vegetables: Roast the sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, onion, and garlic until the veggies are slightly golden brown on the edges. 
2. Cook the lentils: While the vegetables are roasting, cook the lentils on the stovetop. See our tip below for how to easily cook perfect lentils every time that are not mushy. 
3. Toast the pecans: Toasted pecans adds so much delicious texture to this great salad – don’t skip this quick step! 
4. Make the vinaigrette: This is an easy whisk-it or shake-it homemade vinaigrette recipe that you can prepare ahead of time. 
5. Assemble the salad: The final step is to massage the curly kale leaves then build the layers of the salad over top. You’ll want to assemble the salad just before serving. 

This Salad Dressing Is Seriously So Good

This Maple-Dijon salad dressing has quite the following! People tell us that they even find themselves licking the bowl. It’s a simple vinaigrette that you can make easily by whisking the dressing ingredients in a bowl or shaking all of the ingredients together in a jar with a lid. The combination of healthy avocado or extra virgin olive oil, tangy vinegar and Dijon mustard, plus sweet maple syrup or honey tastes great with a variety of dishes, from this Harvest Sheet Pan Dinner to these Chipotle Chicken Thighs with Broccoli to these Grilled Honey Garlic Pork Chops. We also love to drizzle this dressing over roasted veggies, for dipping English cucumber slices or cherry tomatoes, and to make any salad just that much better.

When To Serve This Flavorful Lentil Salad

Like we said above, this lentil salad recipe is a show stopper! For that reason, it can be a wonderful recipe to share when entertaining, and also something to make your regular weeknights more delicious and nutritious. Try serving this Lentil Salad at: 

• Cool-weather gatherings and potlucks
• Thanksgiving and holiday dinners 
• When entertaining at home
• For weeknight dinners, with or without added chicken, steak, or seafood
• As a meal prep lunch – add some pita wedges, if desired

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The photos in the post were taken by Monica Stevens Le.

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