Lentil salad with some sort of roasted root vegetables, or pumpkin, is an autumn and winter staple. This roasted carrot salad is so easy, takes no time at all, it’s a balanced meal, and most importantly tastes great. You need less than half an hour from start to finish, including cutting time (minimal) and making the sauce.
I make this roasted carrot salad for a quick lunch on the weekends, as a main during the week, and it’s almost as good cold, so it can be packed up and brought to work or school. If you’re looking for a super-quick weeknight dinner, you’ve found it!
For some more warm salads like this one, try this roasted new potato salad with lentils and herbs, pumpkin salad with tahini dressing, or a Moroccan roasted vegetable salad with quinoa. I make all of these at least a couple times a month depending on the season.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Carrots: if you have huge carrots, they should be quartered instead of halved to keep within a reasonable cooking timeframe.
- Greens: try baby spinach, kale, or chard in place of the rucola (all babies). Don’t go for lettuce as it’ll be wilt unpleasantly when it comes into contact with the warm carrots and lentils.
- Lentils: green, brown, or black lentils all work well here. Don’t use red lentils.
- Sumac: if you don’t have sumac, cumin is a good substitution.
- Balsamic vinegar: if preferred, switch this out for lemon juice. It will make for a less acidic vinaigrette.
Recipe Notes
Carrots are naturally higher in sugar and they can burn easily. To prevent yours from charring, place them cut-side up on the baking sheet. You can see that I didn’t do this for some of mine, and they got a little dark in places.
Use a small jar to mix the vinaigrette, especially if you want to make extra to save for later. Simply add everything to the jar, add the lid, and shake very well to combine. That way if you don’t use it all, it’s already handily in a sealed container.
How to Store
Storage: this will keep for a couple of days in a sealed container in the refrigerator. Cool fully before storing.
Freezing: I don’t recommend freezing this.
Newsletter
Expert Tips
- Soak those lentils: try to soak the lentils ahead of time if you can – just cover them in cold water with a splash of apple cider vinegar and let them sit overnight. This makes them easier to digest, and they’ll cook faster.
- Thin it out: some tahini varieties will really thicken up when mixed into the vinaigrette. Thin it with a splash of water if needed and don’t worry if it thickens a few minutes after mixing. It happens, and can be fixed.
- Omit the garlic: if you have a propensity to heartburn, I would recommend leaving the garlic out of the vinaigrette altogether. It tastes great without, too.
More Carrot Recipes
Carrot Chickpea Stew
Moroccan Inspired Carrot Quinoa Salad
Carrot, Red Lentil, and Spinach Soup
Dairy Free Carrot Cake
If you make this Carrot Lentil Salad or any other vegetarian mains on Occasionally Eggs, please take a moment to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. It’s such a help to others who want to try the recipe. For more OE, follow along on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest, purchase the Occasionally Eggs cookbook, or subscribe for new posts via email.
Spicy Roasted Carrots with Tahini Lentil Salad
Ingredients
- 150 grams dry brown or green lentils*
- 7-8 medium carrots halved lengthwise (~300 grams)
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper to taste
- ½ teaspoon sumac
- 60 grams rucola or other mild greens
Tahini Vinaigrette
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon tahini
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon maple syrup or honey
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt to taste
- 1 clove garlic minced
- pomegranate seeds for topping
Instructions
- Rinse the lentils and place into a medium pot. Cover generously with water, bring to a boil, then reduce and simmer, covered, for 20-25 minutes. Strain any remaining water and stir in a sprinkle of salt. While the lentils are cooking, prepare the carrots.150 grams dry brown or green lentils*
- Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F). Place the carrots onto a baking sheet with the oil and spices, then use your hands to mix until the carrots are coated. Cook for 10-15 minutes, or until they are softened and browned.7-8 medium carrots, 1 teaspoon olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1/2 teaspoon sumac
- To serve, separate the rucola between two dishes and add half the lentils and carrots. Top with the tahini sauce (see instructions below) and some pomegranate, and serve immediately. If you want to pack this for lunch, let the individual elements cool before packing them together in a sealed container.60 grams rucola or other mild greens, pomegranate seeds
Tahini Vinaigrette
- Place all of the ingredients into a small dish or jar and mix until fully combined. Keep and leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to three days.3 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon tahini, 1 teaspoon dijon mustard, 1/4 teaspoon maple syrup or honey, 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, 1 clove garlic
Notes
Nutrition
This was first posted in January 2018. It has been updated with no changes to the recipe as of February 2023.
Judy says
Is this served at room temperature or hot? Can it be made in advance?
Alexandra Daum says
Hi Judy, it’s best warm when the carrots are at their best, but it can be made in advance and served at room temperature. I guess it’s more based on personal preference.
Diane says
I made this using some beautiful baby rainbow carrots. I added some baby asparagus and patty pan squash and roasted it all in the oven. I loved the dressing! Absolutely delicious and I love how quickly this meal came together. Thank you for a great recipe!
Annemie says
I made this yesterday and it was lovely! Even my boyfriend who was very skeptical upfront about the “weird brown sauce” really liked it. Really easy too!
Jess says
I’ve made this twice and I’m obsessed. Even my meat loving husband loves it as a main course with some crumbled feta. I liked the balsamic in the dressing, but the second time I used lemon juice and liked it even better. I like lemon on everything though, so it may just be me. 🙂
Thank you! I’ll definitely be trying more recipes.
Vanessa says
Thanks for sharing! Does the vinegarette keep long?
Alexandra Daum says
About three days in the refrigerator, in my experience. You might have to thin it a bit before using if it’s cold.
Suzanne says
This looks so good! Do you use this vinegarette for any other recipes?
Alexandra Daum says
There are similar ones here and here.
Alessandra Rodriguez says
SOOO GOOOD and SOOO EASY!!! I am so impressed by how filling this dish was! I was nervous that it wouldn’t be enough for dinner, but it was so much that we didn’t even finish it! Can’t wait to try again.
Jennifer says
I had not tried a salad with lentils like this before, or with roasted carrots for that matter! I enjoyed trying something new and hope to make it again. I used spinach for the greens, subbed dried cranberries for the pomegranate and added avocado to my salad. It’s a unique but tasty combination of flavors and textures!
Alexandra Daum says
So glad you liked it, thanks Jennifer!
Ash says
Can you use canned lentils?
Alexandra Daum says
I don’t see why not!
Kat says
Really wish the recipe would have included pomegranate in the ingredients list. Making an extra trip to the store now that I realize it was not included for my last trip.
Alexandra says
Hi Kat – it’s listed under the tahini sauce, maybe you missed it when looking at the main salad ingredients?
Kristina says
Made this last night and it was very good. We added sun dried tomatoes and a sprinkle of sunflower seeds for crunch, and used white wine vinegar instead of balsamic. Easy dinner salad, great for leftovers.
Ruby says
What kind of lentils work best here?
Alexandra | Occasionally Eggs says
Hi Ruby, brown or green lentils are best. Thanks for noticing that, it’s been updated now in the recipe.
Kayla says
Love this easy healthy meal!! Have cooked it consistently for guests for past year. Always a hit!! Carrots must be bigger than usual as they’re taking forever to cook. LOL : ) Thanks for great recipe!!
Kim says
Made this last night as a quick Sunday meal…so good. It will now be part of my regular meal rotation. Thank you!
mwaters says
Odd that your photographs show pomegranate, but you don’t include it in the recipe.
Alexandra | Occasionally Eggs says
It is mentioned in the recipe to top it with pomegranate, but of course you can leave it out if you prefer.