This Lentil and Roasted Vegetable Salad with Feta and Greek Dressing isn't just a salad; it's a flavor explosion that's so incredibly delicious that you'll be making it on repeat. Trust me, this fantastic recipe is about to become your new go-to for a satisfying and vibrant meal. Ready to discover your next obsession? Let's dive in!
Imagine tender, perfectly roasted veggies with hearty and protein-rich lentils, salty feta crumbles, and a zesty yet simple homemade dressing that ties it all together.
Lentils are hearty, protein-dense, and mildly flavored, and form a base of my lentil and quinoa salad and Indian flavored rice and lentils (khichdi).
Jump to:
- ✨What you'll love about this recipe?
- 📋Recipe Ingredients
- 📖Substitutions, Additions and Variations
- 👩🍳Steps to make this recipe
- 💡Vaishali's tips
- 🍴Serving suggestion
- 💡Meal Prep Ideas
- 🫙Storage instructions
- 🥗How to use lentils in other recipes
- Related
- 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. Add some pickled red onions to add more tanginess and crunch to the salad.
You can also try pairing it with spinach rice, spaghetti with no-cook lemon parmesan sauce, or chicken gnocchi soup. We love it with my Apple Cheddar Soup during cool fall days!
A perfect dinner menu could be serving this salad as a side with masala chicken burgers and my 5-star recipe of blueberry cobbler.
💡Meal Prep Ideas
- Roast the vegetables and cook the lentils - ahead of time and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator (for upto 4 days). When ready to eat, toss the veggeis together with rest of the ingredients
- Dressing - add all the dressing ingredients in a mason jar and shake to combine. Store the jar in the refrigerator. When ready to use, give one more shake and toss with the salad.
🫙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.
If you make this recipe be sure to leave a comment and let me know how you liked it! Share it on Instagram with the hashtag #thekitchendocs or share on Facebook, too.
Love – Vaishali
Lentil and Roasted Vegetable Salad with Feta and Greek Dressing
Equipment
Ingredients
For the salad
- 1 cup uncooked/dry brown lentils
- 4 cups water
- 3 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 sweet potato chopped, about 1 heaping cup
- 2 cups cauliflower florets
- 1 red bell pepper cubed
- 1 red onion cut into chunks
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Greek seasoning to taste
- Salt and black pepper to taste
For the dressing
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoon maple syrup
- Greek seasoning to taste
- salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- 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.
- Wash and rinse the lentils and add them to the saucepan with boiling water along with chopped garlic and salt. Cook until soft but not mushy, 15-20 minutes.
- Add chopped sweet potatoes and cauliflower florets to the parchment-lined cookie sheet. 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.
- While the lentils and veggies are cooking, add the dressing ingredients into a glass measuring cup and whisk to combine.
- 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 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Give the dressing one more quick whisk and add it to the salad. Top with feta cheese.
- Using two big spoons, give everything a gentle mix. Check the seasonings and adjust if needed. Enjoy warm or cold.
Notes
- The step by step photos included in my blog post will help to guide you through the recipe.
- This salad can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- 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.
- Dressing - you can mix the dressing in a mason jar, tightly screw the lid on, and shake vigorously or until the ingredients are emulsified.
Erika R says
One of the absolute best recipes I’ve come across recently! The Greek salad is beyond delicious and everything just pairs really well together. Great balance of flavours. Thank you!
Debbie says
I’m loving all the delicious flavors that come together! The feta cheese topping completes it perfectly!
Vaishali says
Thanks, Debbie. I love the feta in this recipe as well.