Description
This warm roasted carrot and lentil salad comes together easily in less than 40 minutes with minimal cleanup! Satisfying and light, this vegetarian spring salad is made with peppery baby arugula and dressed with a tangy lemon shallot dressing. Enjoy this sheet pan meal for an easy spring lunch or dinner.
Ingredients
- 2 bunches carrots, about 1.5 lbs
- 1.5 tablespoons olive oil
- Sea salt, to taste
- Pepper, to taste
- 1 can cooked lentils, drained and rinsed
- 2 ounces crumbled feta cheese
- 3.5 ounces baby arugula
- 1/3 cup pistachios, chopped
- 1 small shallot, minced (about 3 tablespoons)
- 1 small lemon, zested and juiced
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1.5 tablespoons honey
- 1.5 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- sea salt, to taste
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment for easy cleanup.
Peel or scrub the carrots well then cut into ¼-inch thick slices. Add to the lined baking sheet then drizzle with the olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss to coat then roast in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and scatter the lentils over the top of the carrots. Roast for an additional 5-8 minutes until the lentils are warmed through.
While the carrots are roasting, make the dressing. Add the minced shallot to small bowl and add the zest of the lemon and 1 tablespoon of the juice. Mix then allow to sit for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, add the remaining ingredients and whisk until emulsified.
Once you remove the pan of roasted carrots and lentils from the oven, add the arugula, pistachios, and feta to the sheet pan along with a drizzle of some of the dressing and toss. Taste, then add more dressing as needed before serving.
Notes
- Store leftovers in a container in the fridge and enjoy within 3-4 days. Leftovers can be enjoyed chilled.
- If you know you will have leftovers, add the arugula, feta, pistachios, and dressing only to the portions you will eat. Store components separately. Then, reheat the carrot and lentil mixture before tossing with the arugula, pistachios, feta, and dressing before eating. This makes it much easier to enjoy the leftovers as a warm salad in my opinion.
- Baby spinach or baby kale can be used in place of baby arugula if you prefer.
- If you want to make this salad vegan, use maple syrup in place of the honey in the dressing and vegan feta in the salad.
- If you don’t like lentils, a can of drained and rinsed white beans is equally delicious!
- If you are enjoying this salad as a main dish or for a meal, it yields 2-3 portions. If you are enjoying the salad as a side dish, it yields 4-6 servings.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 30-33 minutes
- Category: Dinner, salad