A Year-Round Warm Salad
Lentil salad with some sort of roasted root vegetables, or pumpkin, is a spring, autumn, and winter staple for us. This roasted carrot salad is so easy, takes no time at all, it’s a balanced meal, and most importantly tastes great. You need about half an hour from start to finish, including prep time (minimal) and making the sauce.
This has long been a reader favourite recipe on Occasionally Eggs and I make it all the time, too – it’s just so good. It’s a good go-to for gluten-free guests or if you want to be less reliant on bread and pasta. Lentils and greens make up the base here and topping with roasted carrots and that creamy, garlicky dressing make this warm salad something special.
I make this 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!
I first shared this recipe in 2018. It’s been updated with improvements to the recipe instructions and slight improvements to the recipe, new photos, including step-by-step photos, and more helpful information.
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One reader, Kayla, commented: “I have a friend coming for dinner and wondered what I should make – then this recipe popped into my mind! Glad I was able to find it. I’ve been making this dish since it was first published in 2018. So great, I love making it for others!”
Another reader, Mel, said: “Wow! This recipe is really delicious. I’m trying out vegan recipes to spice up my weight loss diet and have been surprised by how delicious they are. This salad is great in the winter because it’s warm & spicy. I’ll definitely make this again! Thank you!”
Ingredients You’ll Need and Why
The base of this meal is simple, with just carrots, lentils, and greens. The combination of each plus the dressing make for a delicious meal. These are my notes from recipe testing and you can find the full recipe card below. I’ve been making this dish for a long time and recently compiled my notes from over the years to add that extra info here.
- Carrots: if you have larger carrots, they should be quartered instead of halved to keep within a reasonable cooking time frame. Any colour of carrots can be used. I don’t peel them but you can if you prefer.
- Greens: try baby spinach, kale, or chard in place of the rucola/rocket/arugula (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, which are too soft after cooking. I recommend mountain lentils or puy lentils rather than large brown lentils.
- Sumac: if you don’t have sumac, cumin is a good substitution. It’s not an equivalent flavour but also tasty. Try another spice or spice blend you like if preferred.
- Balsamic vinegar: if preferred, switch this out for lemon juice. It will make for a brighter, slightly less acidic vinaigrette. See more options in the full post for this tahini garlic dressing.
How to Make Carrot Salad
The lentils are cooked and dressing is made while the carrots are in the oven, so you have everything ready at the same time for a warm salad. Keep in mind that the carrots might take a little longer than you think.
Step 1: scrub, trim, and cut the carrots, and place on a baking sheet or in a baking dish. Mix with the oil and spices, then flip as needed to make sure every carrot is cut-side up to prevent burning.
Step 2: bake for about 30 minutes, or until softened. The edges of the carrots will darken but if you notice them browning too much, cover with foil or a lid partway through baking.
Step 3: while the carrots are in the oven, cook the lentils until soft. Always cook lentils in salted water or vegetable broth for the extra flavour. For salads I also always drain the lentils and then let them steam with the lid off, in the pot on the stove, to remove any excess liquid (the same as with potatoes for mashed potatoes).
Step 4: assemble the salad by layering the greens, lentils, carrots, dressing, and optional pomegranate seeds. Pictured is with much less dressing than you’ll probably actually use – so that you can see the salad – but I usually cover the whole salad in the tahini dressing.
Expert Tips
- Think about carrot placement: 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 or dish.
- 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. They’ll cook faster and can be a little easier on the stomach that way.
- 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. Alternatively try roasted garlic (use the single clove method and roast with the carrots).
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.
Roasted Carrot Salad with Tahini and Lentils
Description
Ingredients
- 150 grams (¾ cup) dry brown or green lentils*
- 7 to 8 medium carrots halved lengthwise (~300 grams/10.5 oz)
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper to taste
- ½ teaspoon sumac
- 60 grams (2 cups) baby greens spinach, rucola/rocket/arugula, etc.
Tahini Vinaigrette
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons 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, optional
Instructions
- 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. Make sure all of the carrots are cut-side up. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, or until softened.7 to 8 medium carrots, 2 teaspoons olive oil, ½ teaspoon sea salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, ½ teaspoon sumac
- While the carrots are cooking, prepare the lentils. Rinse the lentils and place into a medium pot. Cover with water and add a generous pinch of salt, bring to a boil, then reduce and simmer, covered, for 20-25 minutes. Strain any remaining water.150 grams (¾ cup) dry brown or green lentils*
- To serve, separate the greens between two dishes and add half the lentils and carrots. Top with the tahini sauce 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 (2 cups) baby greens, Pomegranate seeds
Tahini Vinaigrette
- Add the oil, vinegar, tahini, mustard, maple syrup, salt, and garlic to tightly lidded jar and shake until fully combined. Keep any leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to three days.3 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, 2 tablespoons tahini, 1 teaspoon dijon mustard, ¼ teaspoon maple syrup or honey, ¼ teaspoon sea salt, 1 clove garlic
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate. If this information is important to you, please have it verified independently.
I Googled some of my leftovers from other meals: Carrots, lentils and tahini. It brought me to this recipe! Really tasty nutty salad and I never considered adding tahini to a vinaigrette. Will definitely make this again (planned).
I have a friend coming for dinner and wondered what I should make – then this recipe popped into my mind! Glad I was able to find it. I’ve been making this dish since it was first published in 2018 💕 So great, I love making it for others!
Wow! This recipe is really delicious. I’m trying out vegan recipes to spice up my weight loss diet and have been surprised by how delicious they are. This salad is great in the winter because it’s warm & spicy. I’ll definitely make this again! Thank you!
Is this served at room temperature or hot? Can it be made in advance?
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.
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!
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!
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.
Thanks for sharing! Does the vinegarette keep long?
About three days in the refrigerator, in my experience. You might have to thin it a bit before using if it’s cold.
This looks so good! Do you use this vinegarette for any other recipes?
There are similar ones here and here.
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.
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!
So glad you liked it, thanks Jennifer!
Can you use canned lentils?
I don’t see why not!
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.
Hi Kat – it’s listed under the tahini sauce, maybe you missed it when looking at the main salad ingredients?
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.
What kind of lentils work best here?
Hi Ruby, brown or green lentils are best. Thanks for noticing that, it’s been updated now in the recipe.
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!!
Made this last night as a quick Sunday meal…so good. It will now be part of my regular meal rotation. Thank you!
Odd that your photographs show pomegranate, but you don’t include it in the recipe.
It is mentioned in the recipe to top it with pomegranate, but of course you can leave it out if you prefer.