Rainbow Lentil Salad

roasted veggies of every color, little legumes, and tangy feta

Hi! Welcome to “good mood food” from Kale Me Maybe’s Carina Wolff. If you’re somehow reading this and aren’t yet subscribed, be sure to do so below. You can expect recipes in your inbox every Tuesday, and paid subscribers receive even more every Thursday!

CATCH UP!

We’ve made it to February! A short month, but one that often seems activity-packed. We’ve got three different sets of visitors coming to stay with us this month, my birthday is in a couple of weeks (which to be honest, I haven’t given much thought to with how all the other things we have going on), and Valentine’s Day, of course, which again, not much thought since Grant and I tend to keep it lowkey anyway.

That being said, though, I had SO much fun last year making my Valentine’s Day Menu. I remember how overjoyed I felt seeing everyone tagging me and knowing I had a part in their holiday. I really wanted to do it again this year, but unfortunately, I waited a little too long to get going on it, and now I don’t really have the ability to fit it into my schedule in the next week and a half. I’m sad, but with the move, I haven’t had too much free time, and work is busy, busy this week. Hopefully, I can resume in 2023, and for now, I think I’ll just focus on one stellar entrée! Please send any requests my way.

RECIPE

This is basically a one-pot and one-pan meal! It’s loaded with veggies, but quick to prepare, and I loved all the different textures. Feel free to play around with different rainbow veggies!

Rainbow Lentil Salad

Ingredients (serves 2)

• 1/2 cup black lentils

• 1 red bell pepper, diced

• 2 large carrots, diced

• 1 yellow bell pepper, diced

• 1/2 pound asparagus, tough ends broken off/trimmed

• 1 medium red onion, cut into wedges

• 1/2 tsp cumin

• 1/4 tsp oregano

• 1/4 tsp aleppo pepper/crushed red pepper

• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• Juice of 1/2 lemon

• 1/3 cup feta cheese, broken into crumbles

• Optional: fresh dill for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 425 F. Add lentils to a pot and cover with 2 inches of water. Bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 15-25 minutes until lentils are soft, but still slightly firm (not falling apart or mushy), and then drain.

2. While lentils are cooking, prepare the vegetables. Add veggies to a baking sheet, and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, toss, and bake for 25 minutes. Veggies should be soft on the inside and just slightly crisp on the edges.

3. Add your lentils and veggies to a large bowl. Add the cumin, aleppo pepper/crushed red pepper, oregano, red wine vinegar, olive oil, and lemon. Season with salt and pepper, and then add the feta. Toss everything together until evenly mixed, and then serve with fresh dill, if desired.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT!

Last week, I sent out a breakdown of how to make the perfect salad dressing, every time! This newsletter contains my tried and true formula when it comes to creating different salad dressings — what components I always have at home, the ratios I use, my favorite combos, etc.

My Formula For The Perfect Salad Dressing

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