Black Lentil with Roasted Vegetables (Printer Friendly)

Nutritious Mediterranean bowl with beluga lentils, roasted vegetables, and tangy lemon dressing. Perfect vegetarian meal prep.

# What You 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

# How to Make It:

01 - Set oven 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 - Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring halfway through, 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 not mushy. Drain and discard bay leaf. Stir in ½ teaspoon salt while warm.
05 - In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, garlic, honey, salt, and pepper.
06 - Combine warm lentils, roasted vegetables, cherry tomatoes, and parsley in a large bowl. Drizzle with dressing and toss gently. Add feta cheese if using.
07 - Serve warm or at room temperature.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It actually tastes better the next day, so meal prep becomes less of a chore and more of a gift to your future self.
  • The vegetables caramelize into something almost decadent, proving that healthy eating doesn't mean boring food.
  • You can eat it warm, cold, or somewhere in between, making it impossibly flexible for whatever your day throws at you.
02 -
  • The lentils need to stay just tender, not soft and mushy, so set a timer and don't walk away assuming they'll be fine—I learned this the hard way with a pot that turned into lentil soup.
  • The warm lentils absorb the dressing better than cold ones, so combine everything while they're still slightly warm even if you're planning to eat it cold later.
03 -
  • Cut your vegetables to roughly the same size so they finish roasting at exactly the same time instead of some pieces being mushy while others are still firm.
  • Make the dressing in the morning and let the flavors meld together before you add it to the salad, it tastes noticeably better when the garlic and mustard have had time to get to know each other.
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