Roast Carrot Lentil Salad with Feta & Dukkah is a tasty, satisfying and healthy lunch to knock up on a cool day. It is easy to prepare and loaded with texture, flavour and goodness.
We are hurtling towards that time of year when every morsel of food that passes our lips has potential to lean towards the indulgent side of life. But before we go full throttle on treats, I’m sneaking in a savoury delight that is a pleasure to eat and ideally suited to winter.
I used to think that all salads must contain leaves for them to be truly a salad. But over recent years, I’ve revised my definition of salad. As long as there are plenty of vegetables included, I’m happy to forego the salad leaves. That’s just as well when I’m munching salad in the cooler months when lettuces are not necessarily at their prime.
This warm Roast Carrot Lentil Salad I’m presenting today is a perfect example of a leafless salad. I’ve used rainbow carrots to add a vibrant assortment of colours and added in a few roast tomatoes as well. They boost the vegetable count, add extra flavour & colour and heighten nutrition levels. Eat a rainbow as the saying goes. These vegetables make excellent salad partners to the warm puy lentils, cool & creamy feta and a sprinkle of dukkah seasoning.
Dukkah is new to me. I was perusing the shelves of the supermarket recently, wondering how I could add a little twang of excitement to my base idea for this Roast Carrot Lentil Salad. Then I spotted the dukkah and quit my contemplations.
Essentially, dukkah is a blend of seeds, nuts, herbs and spices originating from Egypt. There are many variations available to purchase or make at home, but most tend to include hazelnuts, cumin and sesame seeds. I bought a pot from Waitrose because I was short on time. Reading the list of ingredients on the pot, I was intrigued to note that it does not contain nuts, making it a fabulous choice for nut allergy sufferers. Instead, the good team at Waitrose have included roasted chickpeas for a nutty, crunchy flavour hit.
Dukkah translates from Arabic, meaning to pound and that is what happens to the ingredients. The ingredients are broken down to create a flavoursome spice blend with enough bite to add texture and crunch to recipes. I’d say that the dusting of dukkah is the crowning glory of this warm Roast Carrot Lentil Salad. It adds that extra sparkle to each forkful and is perfectly balanced against the creamy feta.
Serve this Roast Carrot Lentil Salad as a stand-alone lunch, as a side dish or in smaller, appetiser sized portions. Just ensure you serve it soon.
Take a look through my collection of salad recipes for more lunchtime inspiration. Recent additions include my green bean and potato salad and a rather stylish salmon and potato salad with horseradish dressing – it’s so yummy.
In the mood for something hot instead – try my carrot and lentil soup.
📖 Recipe
Roast Carrot Lentil Salad with Feta & Dukkah
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 120 g/ ½ cup Puy lentils (uncooked)
- 500 ml/ 2 cups Vegetable stock
- 200 g/ 7oz Rainbow carrots (I used baby ones)
- 12 Cherry tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon Olive oil
- 3 Salad onions
- 75 g/ 3 oz Feta cheese (light or full fat)
- 1 tablespoon Dukkah
For the Salad Dressing
- 2 tablespoon Olive oil
- 1 ½ teaspoon red wine vinegar
- Salt & Pepper to season
Instructions
Make the Salad
- Begin by scrubbing the carrots clean and either cut into halves or quarters depending if they are skinny or thick. Lay on a baking sheet lined with parchment and toss in 1tbsp olive oil. Season and roast for 30 minutes in a preheated oven (190C/ 375F/ DM5)
- After 20 minutes, turn the carrots and add the cherry tomatoes (halved) to the pan – tossing them in the oil in the pan. Let everything cook for a further 10 minutes, by which time the carrots should be fork tender
- Meanwhile, put the lentils and stock into a saucepan, bring to simmering and let cook for approx 25 minutes until the lentils are tender
- When cooked, drain the lentils and return to the pan
- To make the dressing, whisk the oil, vinegar and a little seasoning together
- Finely chop the onions and add to the lentils along with half of the dressing. Stir
- To serve, divide the lentils between 2 plates. Top with the roast vegetables and crumble the feta over the top. Pour the remaining dressing over the salad and scatter with dukkah. Serve warm
Tamara Andersen
I am so excited to try this salad Jane! I love roasted carrots, and I have dukkah already prepared in my pantry. I may even have part of a block of feta. Yum!
Jane Saunders
Thankyou Tamara – the dukkah really brings to whole dish together so I’m pleased you have some.
Healthy World Cuisine
Love these textures. Roast Carrot and lentil salad is a lovely side dish. We love warmed salads especially in the change of seasons. Great little Easter side or main for the vegetarians too. Wishing you a super week ahead.
Jane Saunders
Thanks guys