Warm Lentil Salad

This recipe is quickly becoming one of my favourites. It combines brown lentils and seasonal vegetables in the tastiest warm salad recipe. Like so many of our recipes, many of the ingredients are interchangeable. Don't love bok choy - substitute some spinach. Not crazy about squash - I highly recommend sweet potatoes. There are many different options. For a vegan version, add in vegan feta cheese or skip it altogether. To make this a full meal, add in the cooked protein of your choice. I recently served it with sliced Beyond Meat Italian Sausages on top and it worked very well.

Ingredients:

Maple Mustard Vinaigrette:
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon maple syrup
salt and pepper to taste

Roasted Vegetables:
1 small butternut squash (about 3 cups diced) peeled and diced
12 pieces of bok choy, sliced into quarters
3/4 medium red onion, peeled and cut into wedges
2 tablespoons garlic olive oil

Lentils:
2 cups brown lentils
1/4 red onion, peeled
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
2 bay leaves
4 cups chicken or vegetable soup base

Assembly Ingredients:
½ cup Feta cheese

Instructions:

Maple Dijon Vinaigrette:
1. Mix all ingredients together in a jar or other container with a sealed lid. Put the lid on and shake vigorously. Set aside.

Roasting the Vegetables:
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Place each ingredient on a baking tray and drizzle vegetables with garlic olive oil.
3. Bake for 20-30 mins, rotating half way through, or until vegetables are soft.

Cooking the Lentils:
1. Rinse lentils under cold water.
2. Place them in a pot with the onion, garlic, bay leaves, and soup base. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Cook for 15-20 mins or until lentils are soft but not falling apart.
3. Drain and discard onion, garlic, and bay leaves.
4. Place lentils back in pot and pour in 1/2 of the vinaigrette while lentils are still hot. Stir and let stand, covered, to keep warm while the vegetables finish roasting.

Assembly:
1. Place the warm vegetables in a large bowl and drizzle with remaining vinaigrette. Add the feta and stir. Add the warm lentils and stir gently until combined. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Source: My Pocket Kitchen