Lentil Salad with a Lemon-Shallot Dressing to bring all the best and brightest flavours together in a hearty and satisfying salad recipe. A great lentil salad recipe for a wholesome meal.
This Fall Lentil Salad recipe with a Lemon-Shallot Dressing came up as the result of a much too indulgent weekend. You know the one? Too much food that was ordered or packaged and not fresh. Perhaps a bit too much wine one night. All in all the weekend was packed with many calories and my pants either needed to be let out or I need some salad in my life stat.
I actually become quite unhappy with consuming too many meals that are not home cooked. I realize that makes me super weird since most people are looking for reasons to eat out, but it really gets to me and I immediately notice a difference in the health of my family and to be perfectly frank, the behaviour of my kids.
Meals at home mean more time together chatting at the table, learning more about each other and letting my kids learn about themselves too. The distractions of a restaurant are significant as well as frequent. I find it difficult to keep all 3 kids content and in their seats as well as eat anything (two 3 year olds and a baby will do that I guess). Z&I (twins) are at an age where they’re really starting to remember foods, eating sensations (smell, textures, in addition to tastes), and in being twins are looking to form further self-identities.
This makes each and every meal an exciting way to figure out what they like or don’t like about the food presented to them and how they’re similar or different. I’m sure the fact that we don’t have the same staple dishes week in and week out helps keep meal time stimulating for them. Except those weeks where we rotate mac and cheese with grilled cheese 😉
With Fall comes a bit of a lack of leafy greens that I like in my salad (sorry kale). I do love, love, love me some brussels sprouts and since they’re parked next to the goat’s cheese I thought I could get away with having them in this salad. Apparently they’re still a no-go for my husband, which is a shame for him, but a score for me. If you’re highly against BS (hahahaha, Brussels Sprouts) then I’d substitute any cabbage or leafy green you like that is in season (kale, swiss chard, etc.).
This Lentil Salad and the tangy toothsome Lemon-Shallot Dressing made me feel like I was getting way more nutrients and replenishing what I’d lost over my indulgent weekend. Do you have a family favourite salad? We don’t do Caesar salad since I haven’t found a way to make the dressing taste authentic without adding raw egg (which I’m nervous about giving to my kids to eat). Any recommendations?
Other satisfying and hearty salads:
- 2 small beets peeled and cut into small matchsticks (as shown in photos)
- 2 medium carrots peeled and cut into small matchsticks (as shown in photos)
- 1/2 lbs 226 grams brussels sprouts, trimmed and shredded
- 1 x 14 oz 330 ml can lentils, rinsed and drained
- 1/2 cup toasted pumpkin seeds toss with olive oil, salt and paprika and bake at 325°F for 15-20 minutes
- 100 grams crumbled goat’s cheese
- Optional garnishes: chopped parsley lemon wedges
- 1/4 cup olive oil*
- 1 lemon juiced
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 small shallot peeled and finely chopped
- salt and pepper
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Combine beets, carrots, brussels sprouts, lentils, pumpkin seeds and goat’s cheese together (or layer in lines as shown in photos).
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In a small bowl or jar, add olive oil, lemon juice, dijon mustard, and shallot. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Whisk or shake ingredients together until fully combined.
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Drizzle dressing over salad.
* I like my salad dressings on the tangy side (read with more acid than normal). Taste the dressing before serving and if it’s too tart add more olive oil by the tablespoon (whisking between additions to fully combine) until desired level of tang has been reached.
Enjoy! xo
Sweet Potato Taco Bowl
Beautiful. I love grain and legume salads, even mixed with greens. And sometimes warm… oh the possibilities!
Thanks so much! Yes, it’s nice to change salads up to keep them fresh!
Ah, Sam! This looks SO good. I love how colorful and hearty it is. You can tell just by looking at it that it’ll fill you up without weighing you down, and it’ll have you feeling nourished and energize. I’m always looking for new way to use lentils. I’m going to have to try this!
Thanks so much Dana! I”m a classic lentil fritters kind of gal with lemon yogurt sauce, but this salad … it really is delicious and lets the bright flavours speak for themselves. Hope you’re having some turkey Canadian style this weekend!
This looks absolutely delicious!
Thank you! Hope you have a great weekend!
I think it’s a husband thing not to enjoy Brussels sprouts as my hubby seems to avoid them at all costs 😉 But this I think he will eat!
Hehehe. Those hubbies I tell ya! I made this for my husband as well, but he made me take out the Brussels sprouts. Hope you have a very happy Thanksgiving!
I love everything about this salad, Samantha. It’s really hearty enough for a meal in itself, and BS haters can just pick them out, right? Happy Thanksgiving!
You got it Colleen! Thanks for your kind words and wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving as well!
Lentil salad is one of my all-time favourite things to eat, and this shallot dressing sounds fantastic! I love the addition of earthy cold weather vegetables and tangy goat cheese (since I’m usually lazy and just toss lentils with a vinaigrette and call it a salad). All salad is good salad, right? If you’re looking for a caesar-like dressing, but with a much healthier twist, can I suggest the dressing in this post? http://www.occasionallyeggs.com/2016/04/warm-spring-salad-best-ever-dressing.html It’s awesome and I haven’t been able to get enough since I made it the first time. In the winter I really like warm salads with roasted veggies, like squash and sweet potato.
I’ll definitely check out your suggestion! Thanks Alexandra! And yes, warm salads are comforting in the cooler months.
What a beautiful salad! I love the use of lentils and the way you’ve presented all the colourful ingredients. The dressing sounds vibrant and delicious. 🙂 I always seem to come up with my best salad recipes after indulgent weekend or holidays too! Just pinned this beauty. Thanks for the gorgeous inspiration, Samantha!
Thanks Justine! I’m always envious of food bloggers who display salad in stunning ways … I’m content with the photos but not overjoyed (read: overachiever here). The dressin is amazing if you get a chance to adapt it to suit your needs 🙂
This looks wonderful! And thank you for the salad dressing recipe. Love it
It’s one of my favourite salad dressings too 🙂
Thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe! So easy to make and tasted really delicious! Fam loves it, will have it again! Highly recommended!
Excellent! So glad it was a hit.
In love with this lemon shallot dressing – so fresh and flavorful, and blends well with beets
That dressing is my favourite too!