Roasted Sweet Potato Lentil Salad

Roasted Sweet Potato Lentil Salad is the perfect balance of earthy and sweet flavors. This plant-based salad is hearty enough to serve as a main dish or side dish and works great for meal-prep too!

At the beginning of the year I did a survey on Instagram and asked if you were interested in more plant-based recipes. Turns out a lot of you were. I was happy to hear this because one of my goals this year is to eat more meat-free meals. I still enjoy chicken and fish, but want to bulk up on my vegetable intake. If you’re a meat-eater, don’t worry I have no intention of turning this into a vegetarian/vegan recipe site. 

With that being said, I do think we could all stand to add a few more meat-free meals into our diet throughout the week. This Roasted Sweet Potato Lentil Salad is a great recipe to make if you’re in need of a plant-based lunch or side dish that’s easy to make, full of protein and has great flavor!

What Do I Need to Make the Salad?

• Black Beluga lentils
• Sweet potato
• Cumin, coriander, ginger, cinnamon
• Garlic
• Red onion
• Balsamic vinegar, aged is best. I buy this brand and it’s available at many grocery stores
• Dijon mustard
• Maple syrup
• Olive oil
• Flat leaf parsley and cilantro

On their own lentils can be a little lackluster in the flavor department. However, the black lentils in this salad are anything, but flavorless. That’s because you will cook them in a fragrant mix of earthy spice. To really bring out the flavor of the spices you’ll toast them for a minute in olive oil before adding in the dry lentils. 

Do Lentils Need to be Soaked Overnight?

No. Unlike dry beans, lentils don’t need to be soaked at all. Simply sort through them to make sure there aren’t any little rocks in the mix and add them to a saucepan along with water or broth to cook. In general, lentils take anywhere from 15-30 minutes to cook depending on the variety you’re using. For this recipe, the black lentils take approximately 30-35 minutes to cook.

Can I Use A Different Type of Lentil? 

I highly recommend using the black lentils, but if you can’t find them go with French lentils, also called lentilles du puy. You want a lentil that will hold it’s shape and not split and turn to mush when it’s cooked.

While the lentils are cooking, it’s the perfect amount of time to roast the sweet potato. You’ll dice the sweet potato into smaller chunks so the roasting time shouldn’t be any longer than 20-30 minutes. 

The earthy spiced lentils and roasted sweet potato are tossed together in a sweet balsamic vinaigrette, fresh chopped parsley and cilantro. The sweet and fresh herb flavors help balance the earth flavors of the lentils, cumin and coriander. The cinnamon, which may sound odd to add to this combination, truly brings this salad to life.

How Long Will This Salad Hold Up in the Refrigerator?

This Roasted Sweet Potato Lentil Salad will holds up very well in the fridge. I ate leftovers for several days and the quality was as good the first day as it was the third and fourth day. This is great news if you meal prep your lunches for the week.

More Lentil Salads

Mediterranean Lentil Salad

Harvest Butternut Squash Lentil Salad

Roasted Golden Beet, Citrus, Lentil Salad

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Yield: 4 servings

Roasted Sweet Potato Lentil Salad

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Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Ingredients

Salad

• 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 cup dry lentils, picked over and rinsed
• 3 cups water
• Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
• 2 cups diced sweet potato, approximately 1/2 inch pieces
• 1/4 cup diced onion
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• 2 tablespoon chopped cilantro

Vinaigrette

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
• Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon water, only include if you are using a thick aged balsamic vinegar

Instructions

1. In a medium size saucepan heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add in the cumin, coriander, ginger, cinnamon and garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.
2. Add the lentils to the saucepan along with the water and stir everything together. Bring the lentils to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium-low and partially cover with a lid. Simmer until the lentils are soft, about 30-35 minutes.
3. While the lentils cook line a rimmed sheet pan with foil and drizzle the sweet potato chunks with olive and season with salt and pepper. Roast the sweet potato at 425° F. for about 20-30 minutes or until it's fork tender.
4. Once the lentils are cooked drain off any excess water and pour into a serving bowl. Season with salt and pepper and let them cool slightly before adding the remaining ingredients.
5. Whisk together all of the ingredients for the vinaigrette and pour it over the lentils. Add the roasted sweet potato, red onion, parsley and cilantro to the bowl and stir everything together until it's coated in the vinaigrette. Taste for seasoning and serve.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 343Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 154mgCarbohydrates: 59gFiber: 9gSugar: 12gProtein: 15g