• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Living Well Kitchen
  • Home
  • Recipes
    • Breakfast
    • Appetizer & Snacks
      • Snacks
    • Main Dish
      • Vegetarian
      • Seafood
      • Meat
      • Poultry
      • Pork
    • Specific Recipes
      • Vegetarian
        • Vegan
      • Kid Friendly
      • Gluten Free
      • Dairy Free
      • Nut Free
      • Egg Free
      • Soy Free
    • Sides
      • Vegetables
      • Beans
      • Grains
      • Potatoes
      • Bread
      • Sauce
    • Salad
    • Soup
    • Drinks
    • Dessert
    • Slow Cooker
    • Instant Pot
    • Season
      • Winter
      • Spring
      • Summer
      • Fall
  • About
    • Meet Meme
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
  • Videos
  • Easy Meals
  • Quiz
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Easy Meals
  • Main Dish
  • Quiz
  • Videos
  • Health
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Easy Meals
    • Main Dish
    • Quiz
    • Videos
    • Health
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ร—

    Home ยป Recipes ยป Salad

    Roasted Vegetable Lentil Salad

    Published: May 27, 2019 ยท Updated: Mar 8, 2020 ยท Post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Roasted Vegetable Lentil Salad is a versatile, veggie-packed, budget-friendly vegan lentil salad that doubles as a side or a main dish.

    bowl of roasted vegetable lentil salad with fresh rosemary and lentils
    • About Lentil Salad with Roasted Vegetables
      • Why This Recipe Works
      • Ingredients
        • Cost of Recipe
    • How to Make Roasted Vegetable Lentil Salad
    • Recipe Tips
      • Variations
        • How to Fix a Mistake
      • Make Ahead Ideas
      • Storage Suggestions
    • Frequently Asked Questions
      • What to add to this Lentil Salad with Roasted Vegetables
      • Can You Freeze Lentil Salad?
      • Nutrition Benefits
      • What to Serve with this Dish

    About Lentil Salad with Roasted Vegetables

    I am a sucker for roasted vegetables... Roasting vegetables is probably my all time favorite vegetable preparation and I have tons of recipes using them like roasted vegetable pizza, roasted veggie salsa, roasted vegetable soup, another roasted veg soup, roasted veggies to eat on Thanksgiving, and more.

    So of course it only makes sense to make a sexy lentil salad with those roasted vegetable, right? Right!

    I like to cut up any vegetable I can get my hands on and roast them all. Buying whatever veggies are on sale because those are typically the seasonal ones and taste the best.

    While the veggies are roasting, I take one of my favorite budget-friendly protein sources, lentils, and simmer those. Then make a quick dressing and toss it altogether when everything is done cooking.

    So while there is a little bit of prep work (chopping the veggies, roasting them, cooking the lentils, and whisking together a dressing), it is worth it! You get this glorious Roasted Vegetable Lentil Salad that makes a huge batch (over 8 cups) and can be served multiple ways.

    Simply put, the salad is more than worth the little bit of prep work and cooking time because it is so versatile and budget friendly. Plus, it's simply begging for you to make it your own by using your favorite veggies and dressing ingredients.

    Why This Recipe Works

    The flavorful roasted veggies are tossed into a bowl of cooked lentils with a light lemon dressing seasoned with garlic and rosemary for a simple yet delicious meal.

    Feel free to use whatever vegetable combination you like, you just need about 10 cups of chopped veggies to make the perfect ratio of veggies to lentils. Change up the herbs and/or use vinegar in place of the lemon juice. Add some cheese if you want extra flavor & protein; do whatever you want with this tasty lentil salad.

    carrot, rosemary, squash, grape tomatoes, mushrooms, green onions, green bell pepper, onion, olive oil, garlic powder, salt, lentils, lemon

    Ingredients

    Oil: Olive oil is usually what I use because I always have it in the pantry, but avocado oil will work as well. I like using olive oil in the dressing part of the recipe because it gives the dressing a little more flavor, so you could always use avocado oil to roasted the veggies and extra virgin olive oil to toss in the dressing. It's up to you. However, do not use less oil because the flavor will suffer a little bit in my opinion.

    Veggies: For this recipe, I typically use onions, bell peppers, yellow squash, cherry tomatoes, carrots, mushrooms, and green onions. However, you are welcome to use any veggie you love, have on hand, find on sale, or whatever. You need about 10 cups chopped fresh veggies, so use whatever combination of veggies you want. Some other veggies that I love roasted are zucchini, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts.

    Lentils: I use green lentils because I find that they hold their shape better in lentil salads like this versus red lentils.

    Herbs: Rosemary is my go to for this vegan lentil salad, but I think that thyme and basil would also be delicious. You can use both fresh and dried rosemary in this recipe; they both taste great.

    Lemon: The lemon really brightens the flavor of this dish, and I love lemon with roasted veggies (with garlic and rosemary, especially). If you don't have lemon, use white wine or red wine vinegar. However, it is definitely better with the lemon juice. You can use bottled lemon juice if needed.

    Salt: Kosher salt, sea salt, and table salt will all work. You simply need the salt to enhance the flavors of the veggies and dressing.

    Garlic: Both garlic powder and fresh garlic are options to use in this recipe. I use them interchangeably and honestly don't notice much of a difference. I'll use fresh garlic when I have it (and when I remember to mince when I'm chopping the veggies); otherwise, I'll use garlic powder because it's always in my pantry.

    Cost of Recipe

    • olive oil 3 TBSP: $0.72
    • onions 1: $0.68
    • bell peppers 1: $0.98
    • yellow squash 4: $2.40
    • cherry tomatoes 1 pint: $1.98
    • carrots 2: $0.40
    • mushrooms 8 ounce: $1.98
    • lentils 2 cups: $0.98
    • lemons 2: $1.00
    • rosemary 1 tsp: $0.12
    • salt 1 tsp: $0.01
    • garlic powder ยผ tsp: $0.02
    • green onions 4: $0.40

    TOTAL COST: $11.67 (Based on San Diego Sprouts 2019) or $1.46/serving

    How to Make Roasted Vegetable Lentil Salad

    To make this vegan lentil salad, you'll roast the veggies, cook the lentils, whisk together a dressing, and stir it altogether. Here it is broken down into steps with photos:

    1. Roast the veggies.
      • I typically use two or three baking sheets.
      • If you are using veggies that take drastically different amounts of time to cook (for example: eggplant versus onions), I suggest putting these on separate baking sheets.
    2. Cook the lentils.
    3. Remove the veggies from the oven and stir. Set aside.
    4. Whisk together the dressing ingredients in a large bowl. Drain the lentils.
    5. Add the lentils into the dressing, and add the roasted veggies. Stir well.
    6. Stir in green onions, serve, and enjoy!
    process shots making roasted vegetable lentil salad: roasting vegetables, cooking lentils, stirring together dressing with cooked lentils and roasted veggies

    Recipe Tips

    This vegan lentil salad is so simple to make, but here are a few tips, variations, and ideas to make it your own.

    Variations

    Ingredient Options: As mentioned before, you can really use whatever veggies you like. Additionally, you can use vinegar in place of the lemon juice, or use different herbs in place of the rosemary.

    Flavor Substitutions: If you want a tangier dressing, use apple cider vinegar. White wine vinegar and red wine vinegar will also work, but they will give a lighter flavor. Balsamic vinegar is another alternative and it will make the salad a little on the sweeter side versus the tanginess from the apple cider vinegar.

    How to Make Allergy Friendly: This is already gluten free, dairy free, egg free, nut free, soy free, and vegan. So it's allergy friendly as it is. Hooray!

    How to Fix a Mistake

    • Forgot an ingredient: Honestly, the only ingredients that are mandatory are oil, lentils, some kind of veggies, and salt. Adjust accordingly to desires, dietary preferences, and what's in your kitchen.
    cup of Roasted Vegetable Lentil Salad with bowl of salad, lentils, lemon, and rosemary

    Make Ahead Ideas

    This is a great recipe to make ahead of time. You can keep this in the fridge for about 7 days, so I love to make it on a Sunday or Monday to enjoy when I'm hungry during the week.

    Make as directed and keep in the fridge. Alternately, you can roast the veggies plus cook the lentils, and keep in the fridge. Stir together the dressing and add the roasted veggies and cooked lentils when ready. However, this will not really change much as the texture and taste remain the same whether they are immediately mixed together or combined then served later.

    Storage Suggestions

    This keeps well, tightly covered in a glass or plastic container for up to 5-7 days. I recommend eating within 5 days, but it has help up for almost one week in my fridge.

    I do not recommend freezing as it can cause the texture of the veggies to change and become mushy when defrosted.

    large bowl of Roasted Vegetable Lentil Salad

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What to add to this Lentil Salad with Roasted Vegetables

    Some other ingredients that are great to add are cooked tofu or chicken. Crumbled feta or cubed mozzarella are also tasty. Or top with some chopped nuts like I do in this Caprese Lentil Salad. If you decide to add nuts, I recommend waiting to add right before serving.

    You can add additional herbs -- no need to stick to only one kind. After stirring the veggies into the lentils, you can also add in some chopped spinach, kale or chard (like in this Chard and Feta Lentil Salad).

    The options are practically endless.

    Can You Freeze Lentil Salad?

    I don't recommend it, especially with the roasted veggies in it. The texture of the veggies and the lentils will suffer some when defrosted. Because this keeps well for almost one week, I recommend storing it in the fridge.

    Nutrition Benefits

    Lentils are great because they are inexpensive and packed with protein and fiber. You don't have to eat a vegan or vegetarian diet to eat lentils. In fact, I'm a steak-loving lady who loves lentils!

    Veggies & herbs are full of vitamins, antioxidants, fiber and more. Eating a variety of them -- like in this salad -- gives you an array of nutrients your body craves.

    If you are trying to eat more plant-based foods, this is a great option because it gives you protein + fiber, and it's delicious.

    small cup of Roasted Vegetable Lentil Salad with big bowl of salad, lentils, lemons, and rosemary

    What to Serve with this Dish

    This is a complete meal in and of itself. However, sometimes I'll stir in some cooked chicken or tofu and/or cheese, and serve it over a bed of lettuce. Or I'll just eat it straight from the container. I have no roommates, so I can do that kind of thing ๐Ÿ™‚

    Final thoughts:

    This is one of my favorite salads to have in the fridge for meals and snacks during the week. While it takes a few minutes to chop the veggies, once you are finished, there isn't too much work to do. Plus, it makes a huge amount so you can have food already prepared in the fridge for you at any time.


    MORE LENTIL RECIPES YOU'LL LOVE:

    • Instant Pot Lentil Curry
    • Lentils with Sausage and Kale
    • Chard and Feta Lentil Salad
    • Salsa Lentil Soup
    • Caprese Lentil Salad
    bowl of roasted vegetable lentil salad with fresh rosemary and lentils

    Roasted Vegetable Lentil Salad

    Roasted Vegetable Lentil Salad is a versatile, veggie-packed, budget-friendly vegan lentil salad that doubles as a side or a main dish.
    No ratings yet
    Print Rate
    Prep Time: 25 minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour
    Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
    Servings: 8
    Author: Meme
    Total Cost: $11.67 || $1.46/serving

    Ingredients

    • 3 tablespoon olive oil divided
    • 1 large onions chopped, about 2 cups
    • 1 medium bell peppers chopped, about 1 cup
    • 4 small yellow squash chopped, about 4 cups
    • 1 pint cherry tomatoes halved if desired, or grape tomatoes
    • 2 medium carrots chopped, about 1 cup
    • 8 ounces mushrooms chopped, about 3 cups
    • 2 cups uncooked lentils
    • ยผ cup lemon juice from 2 lemons
    • 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary minced (or ยผ teaspoon dried rosemary)
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • ยผ teaspoon garlic powder
    • 4 green onion chopped, about 1 cup
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 425*F. Line two baking sheets with foil or parchment [for easier clean up].
    • Toss the chopped onions, bell peppers, squash, carrots, and mushrooms with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Spread evenly on baking sheets in one layer. Transfer baking sheets to oven and roast for 45-60 minutes, stirring halfway through cook time.
    • Meanwhile, put lentils in a pot and and cover with enough water to completely cover lentils {with about one inch of water}. Bring to a boil. Cover the saucepan, reduce heat, and let simmer for about 30-35 minutes until your lentils are tender but not mushy.
    • Drain the lentils immediately and add to a large bowl. When veggies are roasted, stir into lentils.
    • Whisk together remaining one tablespoon of olive oil, lemon juice, rosemary, salt, and garlic powder. Stir into lentil-veggie mixture. Stir in green onions.
    • You can serve immediately or stick in the fridge to cool. It’s good no matter what temperature it is. Enjoy!

    Notes

    *Can also use dried rosemary or dried thyme or fresh thyme. Use a quarter of a teaspoon of dried herbs or 1 teaspoon fresh herbs.
    *Makes 8 cups

    What to Use in This Recipe

    Knife
    Cutting Board
    silver baking sheet
    Baking Sheet
    Le Creuset Multifunction Pan
    Saucepan
    Did you try this recipe?Be sure to leave a comment & recipe rating below. Bonus points for tagging @memeinge & #livingwellkitchen on Instagram! THANK YOU! xo

    [showhide type="post" more_text="Click here for Lentil Salad With Roasted Vegetables Nutrition Facts" less_text="Clear Nutrition Facts"]

    Nutrition Facts
    Roasted Vegetable Lentil Salad
    Serving Size
     
    1 cup
    Amount per Serving
    Calories
    253
    % Daily Value*
    Fat
     
    6
    g
    9
    %
    Sodium
     
    309
    mg
    13
    %
    Potassium
     
    835
    mg
    24
    %
    Carbohydrates
     
    36
    g
    12
    %
    Fiber
     
    16
    g
    67
    %
    Sugar
     
    5
    g
    6
    %
    Protein
     
    14
    g
    28
    %
    Vitamin A
     
    3210
    IU
    64
    %
    Vitamin C
     
    38.1
    mg
    46
    %
    Calcium
     
    49
    mg
    5
    %
    Iron
     
    4.2
    mg
    23
    %
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    [/showhide]

    Meme

    This post was originally published May 18, 2015. Text, recipe, and photos have been updated.

    Doesn't this recipe look good?! You should probably pin it for later:

    More Salad

    • white bowl with avocado egg salad.
      Avocado Egg Salad
    • white countertop with clear bowl of miso dressing with a silver spoon next to a container of miso paste and a microplane with fresh ginger
      Miso Dressing
    • chicken salad and a ritz cracker in a glass bowl on white table with green napkin
      No Mayo Chicken Salad
    • white and black napkin with plate of pita chips, celery, and red bell peppers, and a bowl of chicken salad with pita chip in bowl
      Hummus Chicken Salad
    626 shares
    • Yummly
    • Share
    • Tweet

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Welcome!

    Meme (a brunette female) is holding umbrella and spinning around in front of the Eiffel Tower wearing a denim jacket, skirt, and blue shoesHi, I'm Meme, a thirty-something registered dietitian nutritionist from Alabama living in San Diego. Here to help you enjoy food, feel better in your body at any size, and live free of diets & shame.
    Read More

    Let's Connect

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    Most Popular

    silver fork on a white plate with green beans and pork tenderloin with mashed potatoes covered in gravy.

    Crock Pot Pork Tenderloin

    jar of chocolate sauce with a spoon in it. empty small glass ice cream cups with a bowl of cherries on a wicker table

    Easy Chocolate Sauce

    Protein Pancakes from Living Well Kitchen

    protein pancakes

    white plate with a slice of zucchini lasagna

    Zucchini Lasagna

    stack of almond butter banana cookies with one cookie facing the front on wooden cutting board with a glass of milk, banana, oats, vanilla extract, and almond butter container

    Almond Butter Banana Cookies

    spatula holding a microwave cookie

    Microwave Oatmeal Cookie

    Gluten free Crab Cakes from Living Well Kitchen @memeinge

    Gluten free Crab Cakes

    chicken salad and a ritz cracker in a glass bowl on white table with green napkin

    No Mayo Chicken Salad

    Intuitive Eating

    brunette female holding a heart shaped pizza in a Parisian cafe

    Why Emotional Eating Isn't Bad

    hand holding an apple in front of apple trees

    Should I Eat Conventional or Organic Produce?

    havanese dog standing on arm of cream chair with a quilt in chair

    Intuitive Eating and Weight Loss

    brunette female sitting in a blanket in Versaille garden smiling and holding a container of container of food she is about to be eating

    What is Intuitive Eating

    Easy Meals

    Ranch Burgers from Living Well Kitchen

    Ranch Burgers

    white bowls with sausage kale soup with french bread and fresh kale

    Sausage Kale White Bean Soup

    stuffed sweet potatoes topped with cheese on foil with sweet potatoes in the background

    Easy Mexican Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

    bowl of turkey white bean chili topped with fresh avocado next fresh avocado and cilantro.

    White Bean Turkey Chili

    Soup

    two bowl of beef soup on blue and white napkins with silver spoons and garlic bread

    Instant Pot Vegetable Beef Soup

    steak potato soup in a bowl with green onions and grated cheese with a silver spoon next to potatoes, pot of soup and block of cheese

    Steak and Potato Soup

    blue and white napkins under two bowls of pumpkin soup topped with bacon next to a small bowl of bacon

    Pumpkin Soup with Bacon

    bowl of ginger beef soup on a gold and white napkin with garlic, limes, and ginger

    Ginger Beef Soup

    As Seen On:

    As Seen On

    In Season

    white bowl with avocado egg salad.

    Avocado Egg Salad

    close up of a bowl of lamb curry over rice sprinkled with mint and coconut flakes.

    Instant Pot Lamb Curry

    two bowls of rotini topped with crawfish Monica sauce next to lemons, green onions, and a green napkin.

    Crawfish Monica Recipe

    basket of an air fryer with a potato inside next to a plate of twice baked potatoes

    Air Fryer Twice Baked Potatoes

    Footer

    Living Well Kitchen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

    • Recipes
    • About

    Copyright © 2023

    We use cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Reject Read More
    Privacy & Cookies Policy

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
    Non-necessary
    Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
    SAVE & ACCEPT
    626 shares