This lentil and roasted veggie salad in a jar is perfect for bringing to work or school. Simply prepare the ingredients the day before and you will be ready to go in the morning!
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Spring. It’s almost here. I know it.
After another snowstorm and too much time indoors, I’m so ready for pops of green to start appearing and our snow boots to go into hibernation. (I mean, can I tell you how cluttered our mudroom is? Of course, every time I have that thought it’s immediately followed by a thought of gratitude for the fact that we actually have a mudroom!)
So just like I seem to be alternating between snow boots and sneakers these days, my lunches are also alternating between soups and salads. I guess that is what spring is!
Today I wanted to share a salad that is super delicious and nutrient-packed. The combination of roasted veggies, fresh greens, and lemony dressing really makes it vibrant. Add the lentils and some quinoa and you have a satisfying lunch that not only appeals to all the senses but also leaves you feeling great.
Prep this #vegan #lentil and roasted veggie salad and you will have 4 tasty lunches in a jar ready to go! Click To Tweet
Add the salad to a jar and it’s also a super-smart salad, ready for work or school. And, yes, I really think they look cute in jars. You could use a classic Mason jar or one of these Weck’s canning jars. Admittedly, I don’t pack my salads into jars very often since my office is only a floor above the kitchen. (Actually, I’m pretty sure the kitchen is my office these days!)
And despite my attempts to pack my husband a lunch, it’s definitely not one of my top skills! But I’m seriously going to keep trying, and I know it would help to prep it the night day (I’m not a night person) before.
I love that this salad has lentils in it because lentils are one of those super healthy foods that I know I should be eating more of. I often make lentil soup, but that’s it, mainly due to the fact that I just need to expand my lentil cooking repertoire! But hey, if I have finally learned how to cook so many other “new” foods–from farro to kale salad to quinoa chili, I think I can learn lentils too…and so can you. Just take it 1 recipe at a time.
While some lentils take longer to prepare, for this salad I used sprouted lentils which only required 6 minutes of cooking! How awesome is that? I highly recommend them if you are like me and can use all the time-saving techniques you can find! You could also use French green lentils, which take about 25-30 minutes.
You could, of course, skip the jar and just plate it up and enjoy!
Hälsa Kids
Before you assume your kids won’t like this salad, give them a chance to try it! Another idea to get them interested is to have them help make their own jar or plate the way they like it. If their jar is just salad and sweet potatoes, that’s ok. And if they are not ready to try just yet, that’s ok too!
- SALAD
- ¾ cup sprouted or French lentils
- ½ cup quinoa
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced or cut into 1-inch long strips
- 4 cups broccoli florets
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 4 cups mixed greens or chopped Romaine
- 2 cups micro greens or sprouts
- DRESSING
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½ shallot, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons white miso paste
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Cook lentils according to package directions.
- Cook quinoa according to package directions. TIP: Cook 1 cup and have extra on hand.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, toss broccoli florets and sweet potatoes with olive oil. Pour onto a rimmed sheet pan and sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Roast for 10 minutes, toss, and then for another 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender. If broccoli is getting too brown, remove or reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue roasting until done.
- Make the dressing by combining the ingredients in a jar with a lid and shaking.
- Once the cooked ingredients have cooled, assemble the salads in jars. First, add ¼ of the dressing to the bottom of each jar (almost 2 tablespoons in each). Next layer: ¼ of the cooked quinoa, ¼ of the lentils, ¼ of the roasted veggies, and ¼ of the lettuce, and ¼ of the greens or sprouts.
- Store with a tight-fitting lid in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. When ready to serve, tip onto a plate and enjoy!
Dried cranberries or cherries (shown in pictures)
Toasted almonds or walnuts
Pumpkin seeds
Roasted chickpeas
Feta or goat cheese
Hard boiled egg
Drooling over here! This looks absolutely delicious and it so pretty, too!
Thanks Jessica! It’s such a fun way to make salads portable and the dressing is so good!
I’ve never put lentils in a salad but it’s a great idea. So cute in the jar too!
Thanks Mona! Yes, I’m trying to find more ways to incorporate lentils into my diet. This is a delicious way to do it!