Cold winter days are made for warm and hearty salads. This Warm Lentil Salad with Roasted Vegetables and Bacon covers all the bases. It's a complete meal in one dish! Garnished with feta cheese, tossed with some arugula and a Maple Dijon Vinaigrette you will be putting this on heavy rotation!
For a delicious soup to use up extra lentils, try this Smoky Lentil Soup recipe. If you are looking for more warm and cozy vegetable salads, this Vegetable Salad with Chickpeas and Tahini is the perfect recipe.
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Ingredients and Substitutions
- Butternut squash - use any type of squash (except spaghetti squash) or sweet potato.
- Mushrooms - replace mushrooms with any vegetables you enjoy roasted such as bell peppers, cauliflower, fennel, zucchini etc.
- Red onion - Spanish or sweet onions also work.
- Garlic
- Olive oil or your favourite oil for both roasting and in the dressing.
- Bacon - omit the bacon to make it vegetarian. Garnish with chopped olives to add a salty bite instead.
- Brown lentils, dried - canned lentils work perfectly too. Be sure to rinse them well then warm them up and add the vinaigrette. Any type of brown, green or black lentils are perfect.
- Yellow onion for cooking lentils
- Arugula - baby spinach or mixed greens will also work
- Chicken or vegetable broth - this is for cooking the lentils and water can also be used.
- Fresh parsley - feel free to leave out the parsley or use other fine fresh herbs such as basil, dill, or cilantro.
- Feta cheese - leave the cheese out or replace feta with crumbled goat's cheese.
- White wine and sherry vinegar - other vinegars that can be used are red wine, rice, or apple cider vinegar.
- Dijon mustard - whole grain or yellow mustard can also be used.
- Maple syrup - honey or regular sugar are good substitutions.
How to make Warm Lentil Salad with Roasted Vegetables
This salad comes together in a snap by roasting all the vegetables at once with the bacon. Meanwhile, cook the lentils and make the vinaigrette. I like to keep the veggies chunky but feel free to cut them up anyway you like. Keep in mind if you go smaller the baking time may be a bit less. I cut the squash into ¾ inch - 1 inch cubes and the onion into wedges leaving the root end in tact so they don't fall apart. If you'd like to see how to peel and cut a squash, check out the step-by-step instructions.
Drizzle the vegetables with a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Roast at 400 ℉ for 20-30 mins, turning half way through, or until bacon and vegetables are cooked.
Meanwhile cook the lentils.
Which type of lentils should I use?
For this recipe I'm using brown lentils. They are the most versatile of all the lentils therefore I always have some in my cupboard. All lentils are high in protein, fiber, and many other vitamins and minerals but different varieties are better for certain dishes. Red and yellow, for example, will break down during cooking so are preferred for things like soups and curries where they also act as a thickening agent. Whereas brown, green and black hold their shape after cooking so are best in a salad or as a warm side dish. Lentils should be rinsed but don't need to be soaked which makes them quick and easy to prepare.
How do I cook brown lentils?
To add even more flavour to this delicious salad I add some aromatics to the lentils while cooking. You can cook them in straight up water if you like but with the extra ingredients you flavour the lentils themselves while they cook. Half an onion (any type), some garlic, and bay leaves will suffice. Then I go the extra mile and cook them in chicken stock instead of water because I always have some on hand. You can also use vegetable stock or just plain water. Place everything in a pot, bring to a boil, then turn heat down to a gentle simmer. Let simmer for 15-20 mins or until al dente.
Maple Dijon Vinaigrette
While your vegetables and lentils are cooking away make the vinaigrette.
This recipe comes together easily by using a mason jar. It's my favourite vessel to make any salad dressing. Just put everything in and give it a shake! This vinaigrette contains white wine and sherry vinegar, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, extra virgin olive oil and salt and pepper. Don't have sherry vinegar? No problem, just use all white wine vinegar. This recipe makes enough for the salad with no leftovers. You can always double up so you have some left to put on any of your favourite salads. It's delish!
How to put everything together
When the lentils are done, drain and discard the aromatics. Put lentils back in the pot and toss with about ⅔ of the vinaigrette while they are till warm. Keep warm by covering with a lid. Once the veggies and bacon are done, remove from oven and place vegetables in a large bowl. Rip or cut bacon into chunks and add to vegetables. Add 3-4 large handfuls of arugula. Drizzle remaining vinaigrette over and mix. Add warm lentils and parsley. Gently mix to combine.
Arrange on a serving platter, sprinkle generously with feta cheese and serve immediately or at room temperature.
Can I prepare this salad in advance?
Yes you can! The cooked lentils can be stored in the fridge for 5 days and the roasted vegetables for 3 days. The bacon will lose it's crispness so I would cook that the same day as you plan to serve. The vinaigrette can be made up to a week in advance or longer if you keep it in the fridge (one month). You can reheat everything in the microwave or in a covered dish in a 350 ℉ oven for approximately 20 mins. The entire assembled salad will last for 3-5 days in the fridge.
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Warm Lentil Salad with Roasted Vegetables & Bacon
Ingredients
Maple Mustard Vinaigrette
- 3 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoon sherry vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup, pure
- salt and pepper to taste
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Roasted Vegetables and Bacon
- 1 small butternut squash (about 3 cups diced) peeled and diced
- 10 medium to large white or brown mushrooms, cut in half or quarters
- 1 medium red onion, peeled and cut into 6-8 wedges
- 6 slices bacon
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
Lentils
- 2 cups brown lentils
- ½ medium to large onion, peeled
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock or water
Assembly Ingredients
- 4 cups packed baby arugula leaves
- ½ cup parsley, chopped
- ½ cup Feta cheese
Instructions
Maple Dijon Vinaigrette
- Mix all ingredients together in a jar or other container with a sealed lid. Put the lid on and shake vigorously. Set aside
Roasting the Vegetables and Bacon
- Preheat the oven to 400℉
- Place each ingredient on a baking tray, or divided over two, and drizzle vegetables with olive oil.
- Bake for 20-30 mins, rotating half way through, or until bacon is cooked and vegetables are soft.
Cooking the Lentils
- Rinse lentils under cold water.
- Place in a pot with the onion, garlic, bay leaves, and stock or water
- Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Cook for 15-20 mins or until lentils are soft but not falling apart.
- Drain and discard onion, garlic, bay leaves and peppercorns.
- Place back in pot and pour in ⅔ of the vinaigrette while lentils are still hot. Stir and let stand, covered, to keep warm while the vegetables finish roasting.
Assembly
- Place the warm vegetables in a large bowl and drizzle with remaining vinaigrette. Chop or rip up the bacon and put in bowl with veggies. Add the arugula and parsley and stir. Add the warm lentils and stir gently until combined. Serve immediately.
Notes
- For best timing when serving the salad right away, prep the vegetables and have the lentils with aromatics and stock or water ready to go so both things can cook at the same time. Prepare the vinaigrette first or while everything else is cooking.
- Salad can be reheated in a microwave or in a covered dish in the oven at 350 for 20-30 mins.
- Keeps in the refrigerator for 5 days.
- Omit the bacon for a vegetarian version and both the bacon and cheese for vegan.
- Vinaigrette, if you make extra, can be stored in the fridge for one month or at room temperature for 2 weeks.
Jenny Green says
This was really, really good! I can’t wait to eat my left overs. I used a head of cauliflower instead of the mushrooms since my family doesn’t like them, used a bag of frozen butternut squash, and added some chicken sausage because I had some in the fridge I needed to use up. I would serve this salad to guests, it was so good!
Andrea says
Oh that all sounds delicious! So happy you enjoyed it. I love the additions/substitutions! Thanks so much for commenting Jenny.
Beatrice Schori says
This is truly a very delicious meal. The Vinaigrette is a great addition.
Andrea thank you so much. This will be a new addition for our Family Sunday brunch.
Andrea says
Hi Beatrice! I'm so happy you enjoyed the salad. Thanks so much for commenting!
Lynn says
Delicious. Loved it.
Heidi Ehlers says
Andrea, you knocked it out of the park with this one. Such a flavourful, nutritient dense recipe and so easy to make. We added carrots and brussel sprouts because we had them on hand. We subbed romaine for arugula because we had it. It was incredible, thank you. It's going into our steady rotation.
Andrea says
My pleasure! I'm so happy you enjoyed it and love the addition of brussels and carrots!
Shelley Taubman says
Amazing!! Just , amazing!
Judy Strmec says
This salad was incredible!! So flavourful! I will definitely be making this often!❤️
Judy Strmec says
Andrea what could be used as a substitution for the sherry?
Thanks Judy
Andrea says
Hi Judy!
You can just use all white wine vinegar. Hope you enjoy it!
Lynn says
Hi Andrea,
I am new to your site and this looks delish. I am signed up to the Livy Method Winter 2022 so quite interested in this one. Just one thing: how many servings would you say this makes?
Andrea says
Hi Lynn!
It makes about 6-8 servings. Hope you enjoy it!
Barb Barraclough says
I tried this recipe last night! It was amazing. I did’t realize I could change the size of the recipe ahead of time, so I have tons of leftovers. (Thats not a bad thing Lol). The only thing I think would have saved me some time is by maybe putting the peppercorns and crushed garlic in a little cheesecloth. It was time consuming picking out all the peppercorns.
Paula Biondi says
Hi Andrea,
Will canned lentils suffice in a pinch?
Andrea says
Yes for sure!
Just warm them up and add the vinaigrette. No cooking necessary 👌
Pamela says
Made a few adjustments with the ingredients we had on hand - instead of sherry vinegar, used an apricot infused balsamic , used sweet potato instead of squash and goats cheese instead of feta. We loved it! Great recipe 🙂
Andrea says
Awesome substitutions! Happy you enjoyed it!
Carole-Anne Oikawa says
Hi Andrea! This looks great - I can't wait to try it. 🙂
Andrea says
Let me know if you do!
Rebecca Redford says
I made this salad tonight for dinner. It’s absolutely delicious. I’m assuming it fits for dinner on Gina’s food plan given dinner is protein being the star of the show not veg?
In addition, the only part of this receipt I struggled with is the draining of the lentils. I poured them into a strainer to drain. However, picking out all the peppercorns was very difficult next to impossible and same with the onion and crushed garlic. Especially given the lentils were still quite hot. How do you do it? I suspect there is a much better way 😀
Andrea says
I'm sorry that step gave you some trouble. Because the onion is kept in one piece as well as the garlic, they are quite large so easy to remove with a spoon. The peppercorns can just be left in, if you don't mind that, or omitted altogether. You can also put everything in a cheesecloth to easily pull it out. I'm happy you enjoyed the salad! Yes definitely a great on plan dinner! 😊
Rebecca Redford says
Okay. Thank you. I just wasn't sure if there was a better way to strain the lentils and discard the other stuff.
Judy says
Sounds delist! would it spoil the dish if I use lentils from a can? If it’s ok, what changes should I make to accommodate? Thanks so much!!!
Andrea says
Yes you can! Just reduce the cooking time to about 15 minutes since the lentils are already cooked. Enjoy! 😀
Tamy says
This was a delicious recipe! I am not a fan of arugula so I substituted baby spinach leaves. Delish!!!!!
Andrea says
So happy you enjoyed it!