Arugula Salad with Root Vegetables and Lentils
Arugula Salad with Root Vegetables and Lentils is a hearty, gluten-free, and vegetarian salad that can be a side or a filling, complete meal.
Mr. Dreamboat and I recently took a day trip to the mountains. We wanted to bring my niece and nephew to see them, since they had never been before. Our first stop was lunch at a brewery, where we usually eat when we’re in Canmore.
While I normally order something like a burger when I go to a brewery, I had already eaten one for lunch the previous day, and knew that my mom was grilling burgers for dinner that night. I opted for a salad instead.
The salad I ordered was served on a bed of Feta mousse with lightly dressed arugula, roasted carrots, pickled beets, farro, and ground hazelnuts. It was delicious, and while I normally can’t finish restaurant salads (I usually get bored of eating them before I’m done), I ate every last bite. I vowed to make something similar when we returned home.
When I really thought about replicating the salad, there were a few things I decided to change about it. I wasn’t crazy about the Feta mousse because it was hard to distribute between all the bites of the salad. I opted for the much simpler crumbled Feta instead. And when I thought about which cooked whole grain I wanted to add, I eventually decided to use lentils instead. The texture ended up being similar, with a little more protein.
The result was delicious – Mr. Dreamboat raved about it, and it ended up being a filling entree salad. If you like salads that can be a whole meal, I definitely recommend trying this Arugula Salad with Root Vegetables and Lentils.
How to Make Arugula Salad with Root Vegetables and Lentils
Because two of the ingredients (the carrots and the lentils) in this salad require a somewhat lengthy cooking process, it is not a quick salad to make. However, some of the prep can be done ahead of time (see make-ahead tips below).
I like to start this recipe by making the balsamic dressing. That way, it’s ready to go and doesn’t get forgotten along the way. To make it, add the balsamic vinegar, sugar, Dijon, salt, and pepper to a small bowl, measuring cup, or immersion blender vessel. Blend or whisk together the mixture, then slowly start drizzling in the olive oil while continuing to whisk or blend. Continue blending until the olive oil is completely incorporated (the dressing will become quite thick). Set the dressing aside until ready to use.
The next step is to roast the carrots. To prep them, start by peeling the carrots and cutting them into large chunks. Toss them with some olive oil, salt, and pepper, and spread them on a baking sheet (or an air-fryer rack, which is what I used). Roast (or air-fry them) for about 20 minutes, until the edges are starting to brown, stirring once during the cooking time. Toss the carrots with a Tablespoon of the dressing.
While the carrots are cooking, start cooking the lentils. Add the black lentils to a small saucepan with a little salt. Add enough water to cover the lentils by about ½ to 1 inch (1¼ to 2½ cm). Bring the water to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low to simmer. Continue to simmer the lentils for about 20 minutes, until they are tender but somewhat firm. Make sure to check the water level periodically to make sure the lentils are still covered with water while they cook (you can partially cover the pot to reduce the amount of evaporation). Drain and rinse the lentils with cool water, then drain them completely. Toss the lentils with a Tablespoon of the dressing and set aside.
The rest of the salad is smooth-sailing. Toss the baby arugula with the remaining balsamic dressing. Divide the dressed arugula between 2-4 bowls (this recipe makes 2 large entree-sized portions or 4 smaller side-sized portions). Top the arugula with equal portions of the roasted beets, cooked lentils, and cubed pickled beets. Top each bowl with crumbled Feta and chopped almonds. Serve immediately.
Make-Ahead Tips
If you know you’re going to be pressed for time when you want to serve this arugula salad (eg. a busy weeknight meal or a dinner party), you can easily complete a couple of steps ahead of time, making it possible to have this salad on the table in minutes flat.
- Make the dressing (step 1 of the recipe below). Cover it with plastic or transfer it to an airtight container and put it in the fridge.
- Roast the carrots (step 2 of the recipe below). Skip tossing the carrots with the dressing for now, and store them in an airtight container in the fridge. Lightly reheat the carrots (about 30 seconds in the microwave) just before serving, then toss with 1 Tablespoon of the dressing.
- Cook the lentils (step 3 of the recipe below). Rinse and drain the lentils and store them in the fridge in an airtight container. Reheat them slightly before serving (30 seconds in the microwave), then toss them with 1 Tablespoon of dressing.
- Measure and cut up the beets, store them in a bowl or container in the fridge.
- Chop the almonds (a nut chopper is really the way to go here). Store them in a bowl or container at room temperature.
- When you’re ready to serve your arugula salad, whisk the dressing and toss it with the arugula. Follow the instructions in the recipe to assemble the salad (step 5).
Arugula Salad with Root Vegetables and Lentils Ingredients
- Balsamic vinegar – If you don’t have any balsamic vinegar, the brine from the pickled beets makes an acceptable alternative. In this case, I would recommend reducing the amount of salt in the dressing.
- Granulated sugar – I like to add just a little sweetness to balsamic dressing with a little sugar. You can substitute honey or even maple syrup if you like.
- Dijon mustard – Mustard makes a great emulsifier for salad dressings, which means that they will be thicker and coat your vegetables better. The amount I used in this recipe doesn’t add a lot of mustardy flavor, but it gives the salad dressing the perfect texture.
- Kosher salt – You will be using kosher salt in the balsamic dressing, to season the roasted carrots, and to season the black lentils.
- Freshly ground black pepper – You will be using pepper both in the balsamic dressing and to season the roasted carrots.
- Olive oil – You will use olive oil in the balsamic dressing and to toss with the carrots before roasting them.
- Carrots – The size of your carrots will determine how many you need: based on the carrots in my fridge, you will need approximately 8 small carrots or 2-3 large carrots (estimate 4-6 if your carrots are medium-sized) per pound.
- Black lentils – I love the look and texture of black lentils (also known as beluga lentils), so that’s what I normally use in my salads. However, brown or green lentils will work too. Avoid yellow or orange lentils as they are too soft and tend to break down when cooking. You can find black lentils in well-stocked grocery stores with the other dried pulses.
- Baby arugula – baby arugula is commonly available pre-washed in plastic bags or tubs near other ready-to-eat salad greens in the produce department.
- Pickled beets – Pickled beets are sweet and tangy and make a great addition to salads. Find them in jars in well-stocked grocery stores with the other pickles. If you can’t find any, substitute an equal portion of roasted beets.
- Coarsely chopped almonds – I used almonds because that’s what I happened to have on hand. Hazelnuts would be a great option too (this is what the salad I ate in the restaurant used). Either salted or unsalted is fine.
- Crumbled Feta cheese – Or feel free to use goat cheese instead. Use your favorite vegan Feta alternative to make this salad vegan and/or dairy-free.
Want more entree-sized salad recipes?
Arugula Salad with Root Vegetables and Lentils Nutrition Notes
This arugula salad is gluten-free and vegetarian as written. To make the salad vegan and/or dairy-free, simply skip the Feta cheese, or replace it with a vegan Feta (or goat cheese) alternative.
The nutrition information in the recipe below is for one side-sized portion; if you split the recipe into 4 portions. Alternatively, the recipe can make 2 larger entree-sized portions. To get the nutrition information for this size of portion, simply double all of the nutrition information numbers.
Arugula Salad with Root Vegetables and Lentils
Ingredients
Instructions
- Add 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar, 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, ½ teaspoon dijon mustard, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper to a small bowl, measuring cup, or immersion blender blendering cup. Whisk or blend until uniform, then continue whisking/blending while you slowly pour in ¼ cup olive oil. The dressing will become quite thick. Set it aside for now.
- Toss the cut carrots with 1 Tablespoon olive oil, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, and ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Air fry or roast the carrots on a baking sheet at 400°F until tender and browned on the edges, about 20 minutes, stirring the carrots halfway through the cooking time. When the carrots are done, toss them with 1 Tablespoon of the balsamic dressing.
- While the carrots are cooking, cook the lentils. Add ½ cup black lentils to a small saucepan with ¼ teaspoon kosher salt. Add just enough cold water to the saucepan to cover the lentils. Bring the water to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium-low and simmer until the lentils are tender, but intact, about 20 minutes. Make sure to check the water level during cooking so that it doesn't get too low (adding too much water will cause the lentils to lose their color). Rinse and drain the lentils and toss them with 1 Tablespoon of the balsamic dressing.
- Add 5 ounces (142 g) baby arugula to a large bowl, then drizzle the remaining balsamic dressing over it. Toss the arugula until it's evenly coated with the dressing. Distribute the dressed arugula evenly between 2 (for entree-sized portions) to 4 (for side-sized portions) bowls.
- Top the arugula in each bowl with equal portions of the cooked lentils, then the roasted carrots, followed by equal portions of each of the ½ cup cubed pickled beets, ¼ cup coarsely chopped almonds, and 2 ounces (57 g) crumbled Feta cheese. Serve immediately.
Nutrition
Notes
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