I'm an avid fan of roasted carrots. Their sweetness becomes more concentrated upon roasting, and they pair well with savory veggies and greens. I first shared a recipe for slow-roasted carrots way back when, however lately I prefer the shorter roasting time in this version.

Often I have them with a creamy dressing, but lately I've been adding lentils and greens as well, or in this case parsley date gremolata. It becomes a layered salad with contrasting flavors and textures, and offers more protein and fiber to make it a robust side or main.

For the dressing I recommend ranch dressing, tahini dressing, or something lighter like a lemon vinaigrette. You can also toss some roasted almonds or pistachios on top for bit of crunch.

For greens, if you're not into the gremolata, add a bed of baby lettuce greens or mix of herbs like parsley and mint. Place the warm carrots on the greens to soften them slightly before serving.

I used rainbow carrots (for the photos), which tend to be thinner than most carrots. If you're using thicker carrots I recommend slicing them in half, or even in quarters if they're extra thick. Enjoy!

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Roasted Carrot Lentil Salad

For the dressing I recommend ranch dressing, tahini dressing, or something lighter like a lemon vinaigrette. You can also toss some roasted almonds or pistachios on top for bit of crunch.

For greens, if you're not into the gremolata, add a bed of baby lettuce greens or mix of herbs like parsley and mint. Place the warm carrots on the greens to soften them slightly before serving.

For SCD, soak the lentils for 8 hours or overnight.

Servings: servings

Calories: 274kcal

Ingredients

Carrots

1 ½ pounds carrots two bunches; trim the green tops of the carrots. Slice the carrots in half to help them roast faster.
2 tablespoons oil sunflower or other
1 tablespoon lemon juice
¼ teaspoon cumin
⅛ teaspoon salt

Lentils

½ cup black beluga lentils or green lentils or other kind
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons olive oil
pinch of salt

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 425℉.
Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the carrots across it.
Whisk the oil, lemon juice, cumin, and salt in a bowl and drizzle it over the carrots.
Shuffle the carrots so they are fully coated with the oil blend and bake them for 30 minutes or until they are fork-tender.
While the carrots are roasting, prepare the lentils.
Fill a small saucepan with about 3 cups of water to a steady low boil.
Add the lentils and bring the water to a steady simmer, cooking the lentils for about 20 minutes.
Turn the heat off and pour the lentils and water in a colander to drain the water.
Transfer the lentils to a bowl and mix in the red wine vinegar, mustard, oil, and salt.
Prepare the parsley date gremolata (recipe below) and spread on a serving plate. Add the carrots and the lentils to the plate and serve with your dressing of choice.
Store leftovers in the refrigerator for a few days.

Nutrition

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Parsley Date Gremolata

It's a bit of work to finely chop the parsley, and the truth is I usually pulse it in a food processor. I also store the dates in the refrigerator before I cut them. It's easier to dice them into smaller pieces when they're cold (and don't forget to remove the pit!).

If you don't have dates, you can use raisins or other dried fruit.

Servings: servings

Calories: 116kcal