Lentil and Roasted Vegetable Salad with Feta and Greek Dressing

✨What you'll love about this recipe?

• Hearty lentils meet vibrant roasted vegetables.
• Salty feta adds a creamy, tangy counterpoint.
• An easy, zesty Greek dressing ties it all together.
• A flavor-packed, satisfying meal.
• Perfect for lunch, dinner, or a potluck showstopper.

📋Recipe Ingredients

• Lentils - use green or brown lentils in this recipe as they are hearty, packed with nutrients, and stand up to the dressing without getting mushy.
• Roasted Vegetables - I recommend using sweet potatoes, cauliflower, onions, and bell peppers seasoned liberally with Greek seasoning for the roasted vegetables in this salad. The flavor combination and the textural element are just right!
• Feta cheese - I forgot to add it to the ingredients picture above, but it adds the perfect saltiness and tang to this salad.
• Dressing - a blend of good quality olive oil, quality mustard, maple syrup, Greek seasoning, salt, and pepper—perfectly elevates the salad's flavors.
• Salad Greens - I have used a mix of baby spinach and arugula in this salad. This combo is sweet and peppery at the same time and works great with the lentils.

Don't forget to check out the recipe card below for a complete list of ingredients along with the quantities.

📖Substitutions, Additions and Variations

This recipe is naturally gluten-free and vegetarian. Here are some possible suggestions to adapt it to your liking

• Pre-cooked lentils - to save time, you can use pre-cooked canned or vacuum-packed lentils
• Vegan - use your favorite vegan cheese or completely skip the feta to make this salad vegan.
• Greens - the baby spinach and arugula mix can be replaced with a hearty lettuce like romaine
• Add meat - add sliced grilled chicken to this salad if you want a more protein-dense meal
• Italian - use Italian seasoning blend in place of Greek seasoning and replace the feta cheese with fresh mozzarella to give this lentil and roasted vegetable salad an Italian twist.
• Walnuts - add about a half cup of chopped toasted walnuts for added texture.

👩‍🍳Steps to make this recipe

Set water to boil in a medium saucepan and preheat your oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Step 1: Wash and rinse the lentils and add them to the saucepan with boiling water along with chopped garlic and salt (Image 1). Cook until soft but not mushy, 15-20 minutes.

Step 2: Add chopped sweet potatoes and cauliflower florets to the parchment-lined cookie sheet (Image 2). Drizzle with olive oil, salt, pepper, and Greek seasoning and toss together until the veggies are coated with oil and seasoning. Roast them in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.

Step 3: While the lentils and veggies are cooking, add the dressing ingredients into a glass measuring cup (Image 3) and whisk to combine.

Step 4: After 15 minutes, take the cookie sheet out of the oven and add the chopped bell peppers and onions to it. Carefully toss the onions and bell peppers with oil and seasoning (Image 4) and return the cookie sheet to the oven for 10 more minutes. Check the lentils for doneness and turn the heat off under the saucepan.

Step 5: Add the salad greens to a big salad bowl. Using a large soup mesh strainer, drain the lentils and then add them to the bowl with the salad greens (Image 5).

Step 6: Once the oven timer is up, take the cookie sheet with the roasted vegetables out of the oven. Use a spatula to carefully transfer the roasted vegetables to your salad bowl (Image 6).

Step 7: Give the dressing one more quick whisk and add it to the salad (Image 7). Top with feta cheese.

Step 8: Using two big spoons, give everything a gentle mix (Image 8). Check the seasonings and adjust if needed. Enjoy warm or cold.

💡Vaishali's tips

• Mason jar - you can mix the dressing in a mason jar, tightly screw the lid on, and shake vigorously or until the ingredients are emulsified.
• Milk frother - a handheld milk frother is also one of my favorite tools to emulsify and whisk salad dressings.

This salad can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.

🍴Serving suggestion

This lentil and roasted vegetable salad can be served as a meal by itself or as a side dish.

You can also try pairing it with spinach rice, spaghetti with no-cook lemon parmesan sauce, or chicken gnocchi soup.

A perfect dinner menu could be serving this salad as a side with masala chicken burgers and my 5-star recipe of blueberry cobbler.

🫙Storage instructions

This salad can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.

🥗How to use lentils in other recipes

• You can use cooked lentils in my protein-rich quinoa and lentil salad.
• To take your breakfast game to another level, make this savory cottage cheese protein breakfast bowl even more nutritious by adding some cooked lentils.

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