Black Lentil Salad with Roasted Vegetables (Printable)

Earth beluga lentils meet caramelized roasted vegetables and zesty lemon dressing in this vibrant Mediterranean dish.

# What You'll Need:

→ Lentils

01 - 1 cup dried black lentils, rinsed
02 - 3 cups water
03 - 1 bay leaf
04 - ½ teaspoon salt

→ Roasted Vegetables

05 - 1 medium red bell pepper, diced
06 - 1 medium zucchini, diced
07 - 1 small red onion, cut into wedges
08 - 1 small carrot, diced
09 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
10 - ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
11 - ½ teaspoon salt

→ Salad Additions

12 - ½ cup cherry tomatoes, halved
13 - ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
14 - 2 tablespoons feta cheese, crumbled

→ Dressing

15 - 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
16 - 1½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice
17 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
18 - 1 garlic clove, minced
19 - ½ teaspoon honey or maple syrup
20 - Salt and pepper to taste

# Step-by-Step:

01 - Set oven temperature to 425°F
02 - Spread bell pepper, zucchini, red onion, and carrot on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat evenly
03 - Place in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking, until tender and lightly browned
04 - Place lentils, water, and bay leaf in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes until lentils are tender but retain their shape. Drain and discard bay leaf. Stir in salt while warm
05 - In a small bowl, whisk together extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, honey, salt, and pepper until emulsified
06 - Combine warm lentils, roasted vegetables, cherry tomatoes, and parsley in a large bowl. Drizzle with dressing and toss gently. Add feta cheese if desired
07 - Present warm or at room temperature as preferred

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes impressive but comes together in under an hour, which means you can actually pull it off on a weeknight.
  • The warm lentils are hearty enough to feel like a real meal, but light enough that you don't need a nap afterward.
  • Every bite has this balance of textures—soft lentils, slightly charred vegetables, bright citrus—that makes it genuinely crave-worthy.
02 -
  • Don't drain the lentils in a fine mesh strainer if you're impatient—some will slip through and you'll wonder where your lentils went; a regular colander works better and you'll actually keep them all.
  • The dressing tastes better if you let it sit for five minutes after whisking, which gives the mustard time to do its magic and the flavors to start talking to each other.
  • Leftover salad gets better as it sits because the warm lentils continue absorbing the dressing, so make extra and you have lunch sorted for days.
03 -
  • Cut your vegetables slightly larger than you think you need to—they shrink more than expected during roasting and smaller pieces can turn into charcoal before you realize it.
  • Taste the warm lentils and add salt while they're still hot because they absorb seasoning better that way than if you season them cold.
  • Keep the dressing separate until the last moment if you're not serving immediately; it keeps the lentils from becoming mushy and the vegetables from getting soggy.
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