Roasted Carrot Lentil Salad with Radishes and Tahini Dressing
Healthy and hearty lentil salad filled with roasted carrots, radishes, sliced red onion, and tossed with a lemon tahini dressing. Naturally vegan and gluten free!
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Lentils:
- 1 cup dried French (Puy) green lentils rinsed and picked over
- 1 small yellow onion cut into quarters
- 2 garlic cloves smashed, divided
- 1 dried bay leaf
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
For the Roasted Vegetable Mixture:
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 bunches of rainbow carrots (8 - 10 medium carrots) scrubbed well and trimmed (leafy stem tops cleaned well and reserved for garnish)
- 7-8 red radishes stems trimmed and scrubbed well, divided
- 5-6 unpeeled garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ red onion very thinly sliced
Lemon Tahini Dressing:
- ¼ cup tahini paste I recommend Soom brand
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3-4 tablespoons warm water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C) with a rack in the center position.
- Soak and Cook the Lentils: Place the rinsed lentils in a medium saucepan, along with 3 cups (720 mL) of water, the quartered onion, smashed garlic, bay leaf, and ¾ teaspoon salt. Bring the lentils to a boil, reduce the heat to simmer, and cook the lentils for 25 to 30 minutes, or until tender. Drain in a fine-meshed sieve and discard the onion, garlic, and bay leaf. Place in a large serving bowl to cool. Toss the lentils with a tablespoon of olive oil.
- Roast the vegetables: Slice the carrots into ½-inch rounds. The skinny ends of the carrots can be left in larger chunks, but try to keep the carrots as consistent in size as possible. Cut the radishes into quarters, reserving one radish for garnishing the salad. Place the carrots and radishes on a large sheet pan, along with the unpeeled garlic cloves, and toss with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 teaspoon of Diamond Crystal kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Distribute the vegetables evenly on the pan.
- Roast for 20 to 30 minutes, tossing the vegetables every 10 minutes or so, or until the carrots and radishes are caramelized and tender. Remove the roasted garlic cloves from their skin (discard the skin, but keep the cloves) and allow the vegetables to cool to room temperature.
- Add the roasted vegetables and garlic to the cooked lentils, along with the sliced red onion, and toss gently to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Prepare the Tahini Dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the tahini paste, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. It should be thick. Add 3 to 4 tablespoons of hot water (depending on your brand of tahini paste, you might need more or less to achieve the right consistency) and whisk gently until smooth. The dressing should be the consistency of a thick salad dressing, but should still easily drizzle from a spoon.
- Assemble: Using a mandolin, slice the remaining radish into very thin slices. Roughly chop some of the reserved leafy stem tops of the carrots (roughly ¼ cup or so). Garnish the salad with the sliced radish and chopped carrot stem tops. Drizzle the salad with the tahini dressing and serve at room temperature. This salad makes great leftovers and can be served cold from the fridge.
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 231kcal, Carbohydrates: 17g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 16g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 13g, Sodium: 1077mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 2g