Roasted Vegetables and Black Lentils with Tahini Dressing is a filling, high-fiber meal that is vegan and gluten-free, and full of flavorful spices.
Have you tried black lentils yet? If you haven't, you really should. I love them (if you can't tell), and this is my third black lentil recipe on the blog.
What are black lentils?
Black lentils are exactly what they sound like - lentils that are black.
What makes black lentils different than other lentils (like red or brown), is that they don't soften and break down as much when cooking. Like French (green) lentils, they keep their shape and are still nice and firm when you eat them. Not mushy.
If you're really not sure what to do with lentils, let me give you some inspiration with this recipe for Roasted Vegetables and Black Lentils with Tahini Dressing. You can also see below for my other links to more black lentil recipes.
Since this recipe meets the requirements for many special diets (gluten-free, vegan, dairy-free, soy-free, and nut-free) it is perfect for a dinner party. You could serve it as a side dish with some roasted meat, or as a delicious plant-based main course.
How do you make Roasted Vegetables and Black Lentils with Tahini Dressing?
This Roasted Vegetables and Black Lentils recipe calls for asparagus and brussels sprouts, but if you don't have one of them, or one is not in season, simply substitute an equal portion of the other (eg. instead of using 4 ounces of each brussels sprouts and asparagus, just use a total of 8 ounces brussels sprouts). Or you can easily substitute an equal amount of broccoli.
The recipe also calls for carrots, which could be replaced with sweet potatoes or parsnips if you wish.
Cauliflower is the final roasted vegetable thrown into the mix, which is personally my favorite roasted vegetable. If you don't have it, feel free to use cabbage, broccoli, or turnip/rutabaga.
The black lentils are simply simmered in salted water and take only 20 minutes to cook. No soaking is required.
And the tahini dressing mixes up in just a couple of minutes, with only a few ingredients needed.
Want more black lentil recipes?
Roasted Vegetables and Black Lentils with Tahini Dressing Nutrition Notes:
The nutrition information in the recipe below includes one serving (⅙ of the recipe) of the roasted veggies, lentils, and dressing. This dish is high in fiber.
This recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan as written.
Roasted Vegetables and Black Lentils with Tahini Dressing
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry black lentils
- kosher salt
- 1 cauliflower, cut into bite sized pieces
- 3 medium carrots, peeled, and cut into 1 inch pieces
- 4 ounces brussels sprouts, trimmed, and halved or quartered if large (see note)
- 4 ounces apsaragus, tough ends removed and cut into 1 inch pieces (see note)
- 8 cloves garlic, peeled and halved if large
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground coriander
- pinch cayenne pepper
Tahini Dressing
- 2 Tablespoons tahini
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- pinch cayenne
- water, as needed, to thin
Instructions
- Add 1 cup black lentils and ½ teaspoon salt to a small saucepan. Add just enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low, cover and simmer until tender (about 20 minutes). (Make sure to watch the water level of the lentils while they cook - continue to add small amounts to ensure that the lentils remain covered, but you want to avoid adding too much as it will cause them to lose their color).
- Move oven rack to lower middle position and heat to 425°F. Toss together the cauliflower, carrots, brussels sprouts, asparagus, garlic, olive oil, cumin, smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon salt, cinnamon, coriander, and cayenne in a large bowl. Spread the vegetable mixture on a large baking sheet and cook until softened and golden brown, about 25-30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.
- Transfer the roasted vegetables to a large serving bowl. Top with the cooked lentils.
Tahini Dressing
- Whisk together the tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and cayenne. If the dressing is too thick for your taste, add water in very small amounts until you get the consistency you like.
- Pour the dressing over the lentils and vegetables. Toss, if desired. Serve warm, room temperature, or cold.
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