Roasted Vegetable Lentil Salad is a versatile, veggie-packed, budget-friendly vegan lentil salad that doubles as a side or a main 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.
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 ¼ 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:
- 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.
- Cook the lentils.
- Remove the veggies from the oven and stir. Set aside.
- Whisk together the dressing ingredients in a large bowl. Drain the lentils.
- Add the lentils into the dressing, and add the roasted veggies. Stir well.
- Stir in green onions, serve, and enjoy!
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.
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.
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.
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 🙂
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
Roasted Vegetable Lentil Salad
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
- ¼ cup lemon juice from 2 lemons
- 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary minced (or ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 4 green onion chopped, about 1 cup
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
What to Use in This Recipe
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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:
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