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.
Servings: 4
Calories: 377kcal
Ingredients
Balsamic Dressing
- 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar or substitute honey
- ½ teaspoon dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup olive oil
Arugula Salad with Root Vegetables and Lentils
- 1 pound carrots peeled and cut into chunks
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup black lentils or brown or green lentils
- 5 ounces baby arugula
- ½ cup cubed pickled beets see note
- ¼ cup coarsely chopped almonds or substitute hazelnuts
- 2 ounces crumbled Feta cheese or substitute goat cheese (omit or substitute a vegan Feta alternative to make this salad vegan and/or dairy-free)
Instructions
Balsamic Dressing
- 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.
Arugula Salad with Root Vegetables and Lentils
- 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 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 crumbled Feta cheese. Serve immediately.
Notes
If you don't have access to pickled beets, you could replace them with cubed roasted beets, though the finished salad won't be quite as flavorful.
Nutrition
Calories: 377kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 883mg | Potassium: 597mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 19853IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 205mg | Iron: 4mg
