With the holidays in full swing, I find myself constantly craving healthy weekday meals to balance out all those sweets and treats that are in abundance this time of the year. And with my schedule packed to the brim with fun events and family visits, make-ahead dishes are most definitely the name of the game to help keep things as easy and simple as possible.
This roasted veggie lentil salad is a great option to have on hand during the busy holiday season. Filled with bell peppers and mushrooms, along with a honey balsamic dressing, it most certainly does not lack in the flavor department. The lentils add a fantastic nutritional boost, and also help to really fill you up.
It's excellent served with some pita chips on the side, or even spooned into lettuce wraps to keep things light. Whether enjoying this for lunch or dinner, you really can't go wrong!
A few notes on the recipe:
When prepping the mushrooms, use your judgment to cut them all about the same size. For example, if some are on the small side, you'll want to either just halve them or even leave whole.
As far as the dressing is concerned, I personally like to use all of it in the salad, especially if making it in advance. It marinates more and more over time as it sits, and the lentils will absorb some of the liquid. But of course feel free to adjust and use as much or little as you'd like.
As for the mix-ins and garnishes, I think the salad is fantastic using them all, but you can pick and choose to your own taste.
📖 Recipe
Ingredients
For the veggies:
- 1 small onion, sliced
- 1 medium red bell pepper, sliced
- 1 medium green bell pepper, sliced
- 1 8 ounce package baby bella mushrooms, quartered
- 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
For the salad:
- 1 cup dried green lentils, picked through and rinsed
- 4 cups water
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 ½ tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 ½ tablespoons honey
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Optional garnishes / mix-ins:
- Chopped parsley
- Crumbled feta
- Chopped walnuts or pinenuts
Instructions
For the veggies:
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
- Add the onion, both peppers and mushrooms to a large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Toss to combine and spread in an even layer. Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until tender. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the ingredients cool for about 5 minutes.
For the salad:
- While the veggies bake, add the lentils and water to a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, until the lentils are tender but not mushy. Drain off any excess water and add the lentils to a large bowl, along with the roasted veggies.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, garlic, balsamic vinegar, honey, salt and pepper. Add the desired amount of dressing to the bowl with the lentils and toss to combine. Garnish and/or add mix-ins as desired.
Goda says
This is so gonna be my dinner tonight! 🙂
Ashley Jennings says
I hope you enjoyed!
Jane B says
colorful and healthy!, i will definitely try this on the weekend, thanks for sharing
Ashley Jennings says
Thanks Jane!
wayz12 says
I made this lunch with some variations on the vegetables. I used onions, eggplant, bell peppers and butternut squash. It was delicious. This recipe is a keeper.
Ashley Jennings says
So happy to hear it! Love those changes to the veggies!
wayz12 says
I really love the dressing. I tried using it on other salads and it works quite well. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.
Ashley Jennings says
Oh I love that! You're very welcome 🙂
Katie says
I just made this for the first time - so delicious!
Ashley Jennings says
I'm so glad to hear it Katie!!