I eat a lot of salads… which means I also eat a lot of mediocre salads. However, this is not one of the salads. When creating this recipe for RE: Plant-based SET, I want to take all the best parts of a salad and combine them into a recipe. More importantly, I wanted a salad recipe that would actually keep me full until dinner time. That’s always the problem with the salad, isn’t it? While delicious, they sometimes don’t do the job of preventing food for a late-afternoon snack in my pantry between meetings. So I took some of my favorite ingredients and created this black lentil salad. Eat some protein-packed lentils, sweet and hearty carrots and Brussels sprouts, shredded onions and a host of fresh herbs, and you’ve got a lunchtime winner — trust me. about this dish!
I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not a fan of green salads. I like one chopped salad or pasta salad where the greens are the supporting actors, not the stars. So when I think about building this salad, I first want to focus on the ingredients that will really elevate this dish. The first is the roasted vegetables.
The best thing about a salad with roasted veggies is that you can roast everything ahead of time and store it in the fridge until you’re ready to make. Pro tip: Let your veggies come to room temperature or grill quickly on the pan when you’re ready to serve your salad — it makes a huge difference in flavor and saves a bit of prep time. . For this salad, I used carrots and Brussels sprouts. I love the way the carrots roast, become all caramelized and really focus their flavors. Plus, when mixed with a bit of honey, their sweetness really balances out all the other savory ingredients. Sprouts add a little extra to salads and make salads feel a little more hearty in the best way. Plus, I feel like everyone loves Brussels sprouts these days. If you’re still not convinced, I put my mom on the Brussels team on vacation.
How to get really crispy Brussels sprouts:
For crunchy Brussels sprouts, drizzle olive oil and seasoning over them, tossing to coat evenly. Place them cut edges down on a paper tray with plenty of space between them. If you don’t give them enough space, they start to absorb each other rather than dry up. You want to use really high heat and flip half the baking time. Take note, my brother definitely burned a batch or two, so keep a close eye on your Brussels sprouts as they bake and you’ll be well rewarded. They taste so good when they’re all charred.
You can completely exchange vegetables for what you can have on hand. I think it would go very well with roasted sweet potatoes or turnips, or even beets! Use what you have in the fridge or pantry and make this recipe your own!
To keep this salad really satisfying and appetizing, I relied on lentils. I grew up with a whole bunch of lentils — they were always in my mom’s pantry. From moong daal to urad daal to masoor daal, we ate lentils almost every night. My mother is actually an OG who applies the black lentil salad. She’ll just use cooked lentils and top them with some lemon juice and spices like chaat masala, eating it as a quick lunch treat. While I’m not quite there, I love them as an ingredient in this salad. Not just lentils Delicious, but they’re also packed with protein, making for a great meat alternative. I also love how lentils can be a great vehicle for flavor. For this salad, I not only pre-cooked a batch of green lentils, but also seasoned them for extra flavor – little effort but delicious. Keep a can of marinated lentils in your refrigerator as part of your meal prep routine and serve as a side dish or a way to boost the protein in any dish you may be making.
For extra flavor (yes, I really want to top this salad), I used crispy and crispy purple onions. You can leave them out if you don’t like raw onions, or add chopped red or green onions and a bunch of fresh herbs. While scoffing at green salads, I love herb salads. Using mint, basil, and cilantro as greens in their own right is underrated. I mean, they have flavors available! Wrap them in this salad for extra deliciousness and freshness. And while this may be a plant-based recipe, I topped it with some goat cheese because I like a bit of cream in my salads. There are some great plant- and dairy-free cheese options these days, so feel free to substitute if you’d like.
This black lentil salad is a delicious side dish and I’m happy to have it as part of my lunchtime routine. Let me know if you made it and how you made it your own.
Scroll down to find the recipe, which is part of RE: Plant-based SET—A new 5-day meal plan will hit your inbox on January 21st! With delicious breakfast, lunch, and dinner recipes, this is the week’s worth of meal that will leave you feeling lighter, brighter, and full of energy. Sign up here!
