Lentil and Roasted Vegetable Salad
This Caesar salad-inspired dish with lots of texture combines lentils and roasted vegetables with crisp lettuce and seasoned croutons for big crunchy chew.
Lentil and Roasted Vegetable Salad
Serves 4 - 5
This is one of those dishes that was conceptualized one way and made its way to something completely different and even better than I anticipated. Originally, I had this idea to make a Caesar dressing in the style I was taught by “From Martha’s Kitchen” as a preteen but, make it vegan. The idea was to then make it into a salad with lentils somehow. As I was putting everything together however, something completely different happened. I wound up with roasted vegetables and a dressing that while still very Caesar Salad inspired, but, is most definitely not vegan. Lettuce and lentils and vegetables are tossed with the dressing separately and then piled on top of lettuce with fresh croutons and you have a salad. The undertone of Caesar Salad is definitely there but, with lots of earthy toasty notes as well.
“Recipe Tips:
1. It is best to use day old bread for the croutons if possible. If your bread is not day old, I would suggest checking for doneness after about 2.5 minutes.”
Ingredients
Lentils
454g (1 lb) brown lentil, rinsed
2 bay leaves
1 t kosher salt
Dressing
7 garlic cloves, ends trimmed
2 T + 1 t fresh lemon, juiced
5.5 t nutritional yeast
5 t fish sauce
2.5 t Asian or Dijon mustard
2.5 t doenjang
2.5 t worcestershire sauce
1.5 t yondu or soy sauce
0.25 t kosher salt
6 T vegetable oil
1.5 T olive oil
Cauliflower and Carrots
340g (0.75 lb) cauliflower, cut into similar sized florets
290g (1 large) carrot, cut into 0.50 in cubes
2 T olive oil
0.50 t kosher salt
0.50 t ground coriander
0.25 t ground black pepper
0.25 t dried thyme, rubbed
1/8 t ground Sichuan pepper
Eggplant and Zucchini
340g (0.75 lb) Japanese eggplant, cut into 0.50 in cubes
227g (0.50 lb) zucchini, cut into 0.50 in cubes
3 T olive oil
0.50 t kosher salt
0.50 t ground coriander
0.25 t ground black pepper
0.25 t dried thyme, rubbed
0.25 t onion powder
0.25 t garlic powder
1/8 t ground Sichuan pepper
Croutons
200g (1 medium) baguette, torn into 0.50 – 0.75 in pieces
4 T olive oil
1 t kosher salt
1 t garlic powder
1 t dried parsley
0.50 t onion powder
0.25 t ground black pepper
Salad
160g (1 small) onion, small dice
140g (1 medium) red bell pepper, small dice
340g (0.75 lb) lettuce, torn into large bite sized pieces
Recipe Know-how
Lentils
1. Place lentils, bay and salt in a medium-sized pot.
Using cold water, cover the lentils by at least 4 inches with water.
Bring the water to a boil covered.
The lentils should be rolling around in the water like when cooking pasta.
Reduce to a strong simmer and cook for 12 – 17 minutes.
Test the lentils after 10 minutes. Check every 2 minutes afterward until done.
Cooked lentils should be mostly tender but toothsome.
The lentils should not be soft or mushy and should retain their shape well.
While the lentils cook, make the dressing.
Drain the lentils and rinse under cold water briefly.
Allow to continue draining for at least 1 hour.
Dressing
2. In a food processor, place all of the dressing ingredients except the oils.
Process until smooth.
Add the oils and continue to process until creamy and smooth.
Allow to stand for 5 minutes.
Taste and adjust seasoning as desired.
Refrigerate until needed.
Roasted Vegetables and Salad
3. Preheat oven to 200 C / 400 F.
Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and pour on 1 T of vegetable oil.
Place the pan in the oven and heat for 5 minutes.
While the pan preheats, continue on with the vegetables.
In a medium mixing bowl, toss the carrots and cauliflower with the oil and spices ensuring they are well coated.
Quickly but carefully remove the pan from the oven and tilt to coat with the oil.
The pan and oil are very hot, use extreme caution while doing this.
Pour the vegetables onto the pan and place into the oven on the bottom rack.
Removing the pan from the oven and getting the pan back into the oven should take 1 minute or less.
Do not wash out the mixing bowl.
Roast for 20 – 25 minutes or until golden brown and the cauliflower is lightly charred.
When finished, remove the vegetables to a plate and reserve.
Do not discard the foil on the baking sheet.
Increase oven temperature to 220 C / 430 F.
Place another 2 t of vegetable oil on the baking sheet and return to the oven while seasoning the vegetables.
Into the mixing bowl, toss the eggplant and zucchini with the oil and spices.
Carefully remove the baking sheet from the oven as before and pour the vegetables onto it.
Roast for 15 – 20 minutes or until golden brown and the eggplant is beginning to crisp slightly.
While the vegetables roast, continue on to the next step.
Do not wash out the mixing bowl.
4. Into a separate large mixing bowl, pour the lentils.
With a rubber spatula, gently stir in the bell pepper, onions and roasted carrots and cauliflower.
5. Remove the baking sheet from the oven.
Pour the vegetables onto a plate to cool slightly.
Do not discard the foil on the baking sheet.
Into the mixing bowl, toss the bread with the oil and seasonings.
Pour onto the baking sheet and bake for 4 – 5 minutes.
Do not overbake the croutons. You want the outside to be golden brown and crisp but the inside should remain soft.
Do not wash out the mixing bowl.
Remove the croutons from the oven.
Place the roasted eggplant and zucchini into the bowl with the lentils.
Pour over about half of the dressing. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold everything together to coat.
Everything should be coated in dressing but it should not pool on the bottom of the bowl.
Finishing
6. Into the medium mixing bowl toss the lettuce with enough dressing to just coat the leaves.
7. Divide the lettuce evenly among the serving plates.
Top each plate with a portion of the lentils and then the croutons.
Drizzle some of the remaining dressing over each plate.
8. Serve.
