Black Lentil Salad Roasted Vegetables (Printable)

Earthy black lentils tossed with roasted vegetables and zesty lemon dressing for a wholesome Mediterranean meal.

# What You Need:

→ Lentils

01 - 1 cup dry 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 medium carrot, diced
09 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
10 - ½ teaspoon dried thyme
11 - ½ teaspoon salt
12 - ¼ teaspoon black pepper

→ Salad Additions

13 - ½ cup cherry tomatoes, halved
14 - ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese, optional
15 - 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
16 - 2 tablespoons toasted pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds

→ Lemon Dressing

17 - 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
18 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
19 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
20 - 1 small garlic clove, minced
21 - ½ teaspoon honey or maple syrup
22 - ¼ teaspoon salt
23 - ⅛ teaspoon black pepper

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium pot, combine black lentils, water, bay leaf, and ½ teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 20–25 minutes until just tender but not mushy. Drain, discard the bay leaf, and let cool slightly.
03 - Toss bell pepper, zucchini, red onion, and carrot with 2 tablespoons olive oil, thyme, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Spread evenly on the baking sheet. Roast for 20–25 minutes, stirring once, until vegetables are tender and lightly caramelized. Let cool slightly.
04 - In a large bowl, whisk together all lemon dressing ingredients until emulsified.
05 - Add the cooked lentils, roasted vegetables, cherry tomatoes, parsley, and seeds to the bowl with dressing. Toss well to coat evenly.
06 - Sprinkle with feta cheese if using. Serve warm or at room temperature.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The lentils stay perfectly firm, giving you a satisfying bite that actually feels nourishing instead of heavy.
  • Roasted vegetables get this sweet, caramelized edges that make the whole thing taste like you spent way more time than you actually did.
  • It works warm, cold, or anywhere in between, which means it's your secret weapon for meal prep without the boredom.
  • One bowl becomes dinner, becomes lunch the next day, becomes proof that healthy food doesn't have to be boring.
02 -
  • Don't skip the cooling step after cooking the lentils and roasting the vegetables—warm dressing hits warm ingredients and everything stays fresher longer, plus the flavors have room to actually get to know each other.
  • The dressing is where this salad earns its place on your table—a mediocre dressing will make even perfect ingredients feel flat, so taste it as you build it and be honest about whether it needs more acid or more honey.
03 -
  • Toast your seeds yourself if you have time—a quick minute in a dry skillet transforms them from background texture into something that adds real flavor and crunch.
  • Make the dressing first and let it sit while you cook everything else—it gives the garlic time to infuse the oil, which deepens the whole flavor profile in a way you won't expect.
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