Warm lentils and roasted spring vegetables get a tangy boost from herbaceous yogurt sauce, briny feta, and crunchy almonds in this roasted beet & carrot lentil salad. Adapted from Dishing Up the Dirt: Simple Recipes for Cooking Through the Seasons.
We're just back from a 2-week romp on the East Coast (more on that later!) But today I'm excited to share this roasted beet & carrot lentil salad from Andrea Beamis's beautiful new cookbook Dishing Up the Dirt: Simple Recipes for Cooking Through the Seasons.
Andrea isn't your garden-variety food blogger; she's a legit farmer in Northern Oregon and spends what seems like all day, every day tilling the soil, planting, weeding, watering, raising chickens, and selling her bounty at farmer's markets and in CSA boxes with the help of her beau Taylor and trusty dog Henry. I don't know how Andrea finds the time to develop and shoot beautiful recipes while being a full-time farmer, let alone write and shoot an entire book, and still be one of the best-natured, down-to-earth people I've ever met. I'm thinking it's either the good, clean air or really strong coffee...
I had the pleasure of visiting Tumbleweed Farm last summer with Emma during a trip to the Columbia River Gorge outside of Portland. Tumbleweed gets a stunning view of Mount Hood which, in mid June, was still dusted with snow. Immaculate rows of every vegetable you can imagine peppered the sprawling 6 acres. We wandered through the veggies as Andrea fed us juicy cherries and freshly picked snap peas. We ogled her prop collection and saw where her cooking and photo magic happen, and traded cookbook battle stories. Then Andrea sent us on our way with a warm hug and crate of eggs. On a trip where everything went wrong, Tumbleweed was a welcome breath of fresh country air.
To say I was excited to get my hands on Andrea's book this spring would be an understatement. Everything about the book takes my breath away, from the innovative recipes for every season, to the bold photography – a mix of plated shots (one for every recipe) and snaps of the farm in action – to the unfussy styling (with help from the talented Ashley Marti) to Andrea's prose about how her life "took a turn for the dirt." Recipes are organized seasonally and include a good mix of savory dishes, sweet treats, and drinks, with lots of recipes friendly to vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free diets.
After bookmarking just about every recipe, so far I've made the Spring Celebration Bowls (steamed quinoa topped with roasted asparagus, tahini sauce, and a fried egg), Honey Cardamom Lattes (coffee whipped with a spoonful of almond butter, honey, and spice), and this glorious platter salad. Others at the top of my list are:
- Sweet Potato Tart with Hazelnut Oat Crust (vegan, GF)
- Spiced Cauliflower with Honey Tahini Sauce (vegan, GF)
- Beet Pickled Eggs (GF)
- Crispy Broccolini & Chickpea Salad (GF)
- Kholrabi Fritters with Garlic Herb Cashew Cream (vegan)
- Crispy Smashed Potatoes with Herbed Yogurt (GF)
- Mustard Greens & Gruyere Quiche with Almond Crust (GF)
- Sweet Corn & Summer Squash Coconut Milk Chowder (vegan, GF)
We whipped this salad up before we left for our trip primarily as a way to use up odds and ends from the fridge and to have something hearty to eat on the plane. Like all of Andrea's recipes, this combines a base of simmered lentils with a seasonal topping (roasted beets and carrots) and a drizzle of something tasty (herbed yogurt, feta, and toasted almonds).
The roasted vegetables on their own taste like crack – we had trouble saving enough for the salads, we just wanted to pop them in our maws straight from the oven. But we're glad we did, because they were the perfect sweet foil for earthy lentils, salty feta, and tart yogurt kissed with dill and garlic.
I highly recommend this roasted beet & carrot lentil salad for a laid-back lunch or light supper when root vegetables are at their peak – spring, fall, or winter here in California. It also makes a pretty plate for entertaining. And I *also* highly recommend picking up a copy of Andrea's beautiful book to feed the soul of your inner farmer.
*Thanks for reading! For more Bojon Gourmet in your life, follow along on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest, purchase my gluten-free cookbook Alternative Baker, or subscribe to receive new posts via email. And if you make this lentil salad, I’d love to see! Tag your Instagram snaps @The_Bojon_Gourmet and #bojongourmet.*
Roasted Beet & Carrot Lentil Salad with Feta, Yogurt & Dill
Print Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
- 1 1/2 cups (200 g) French green lentils, rinsed and picked over
- 1 small yellow onion, quartered
- 1 large bay leaf
- fine sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 bunch beets (any color, or a combination), scrubbed, trimmed, and cut into eighths
- 1 bunch carrots, scrubbed, trimmed, halved lengthwise (if small) or cut into 1/2-inch slices (if large)
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) olive oil, more as needed
- 1 cup (235 ml) plain full-fat yogurt
- 1 large clove garlic, put through a press or minced
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) fresh lemon juice, more as needed
- 1/4 cup parsley, chopped, plus more for garnish
- 1/4 cup dill, chopped, plus more for garnish
- ~4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
- 1/2 cup (70 g) toasted almonds, coarsely chopped if whole
Instructions
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 425ºF.
- Place the lentils in a medium saucepan, cover with 3 inches of water, and add the onion and bay leaf. Place over high heat, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer until the lentils are tender but still holding a shape, 20 to 30 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon salt toward the end of the cooking time, and more water if needed. Drain the lentils and discard the onion and bay leaf.
- Meanwhile, toss the beets and carrots with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Roast in the oven until browned and tender, tossing them halfway through cooking, 25 to 30 minutes.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, chopped parsley and dill, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil.
- When ready to serve, toss the lentils with a drizzle of olive oil, a good squeeze of lemon, and (if needed) salt and pepper to taste. Place the lentils on a large platter (or divide among 4 plates or shallow bowl) and top with the roasted vegetables, feta, extra herbs, and almonds. Drizzle with the yogurt sauce and pass extra sauce at the table. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
Nutrition
Andrea Bemis says
I'm all warm and fuzzy over here Alanna! Thanks for dishing up a great meal from the book. Swing on by the farm anytime you find yourself back in the hood! xoxo
Shahira says
I'm a local Hood River girl.. so fun to see your recipes on Pinterest!! Love your cook book and your fresh veggies.
Shahira
Alanna says
Aw, thank you! I wish I lived there - SO beautiful. :)
Millette says
Thank you so much for offering her recipe, two of my favorite vegetables and the feta sauce with lentils and almonds are over the top!
Millette says
I'd like to add small amount of feta to the yogurt sauce.....
Alanna says
Do it! ;)
Jessica says
Aaaah roasted root vegetables are SO like crack. Everything about this sounds amazing - I can't wait to try. Also these photos are drop dead gorgeous. As are you <3
Alanna says
Thanks, lovely! Right back atcha. <3
Julia @ Happy Foods Tube says
Beautiful looking salad. I don't buy lentils often as I never know what do do with them :) Thanks for the inspiration. Can't wait to try it! Btw, beautiful photos!
Alanna says
Aw, thank you Julia! I've become a real lentil fan lately. Two other favorites are this and this .
Sara says
Long time listener, first time caller. I have your book and I just wanted to say that I am loving it so far. I've been baking with alternative flours for over 10 years, and I have not found many bakers embrace it like you have. It's like your cookbook and I are meant to be. ;) I love that you included the part at the end of the book where you discuss the flours, tastes, reasons you use it, and even include reasons why you don't use some flours. I just made your peach custard pie last night. Delicious!! I love that you have professional baking experience.. I've had many recipes fail from bloggers that just don't have the experience to provide recipes with consistent results. Thank you for your recipes and keep up the hard work, your experience/expertise is appreciated!
Asha Shivakumar says
This is such a vibrant and healthy one Alanna. Gorgeous. xx
Alanna says
Aw, thanks darling! <3
Shikha @ Shikha la mode says
Anytime any food gets compared to crack, that means it has to be good!!
Alanna says
Completely! ;)
Tisha Riman | The Nourished Mind says
I made this for dinner and it was delicious! Thanks for sharing :)
Alanna says
Aw, so glad you liked it!
Marie says
I'm not following what to do with the herbs. The ingredients call out 1/4 c each dill and parsley, plus more for garnish. In the in, it says use 'extra herbs'. The extra is throwing me off - is that the extra for garnish and if so where does the 1/4 c get used?
Also, any idea how much a bunch of carrots weigh? Mine come in bags...
Alanna says
Hi Marie! Sorry about that - the chopped herbs go in the yogurt sauce, and the extras get scattered over the top of the dish. Thanks for catching my error - I've updated the recipe! As for the carrots, I think about 3 or 4 large carrots from a bag would equal 1 bunch of smaller carrots. Let me know how you like the dish!
Heather says
What gorgeous photos!! I found this recipe while searching for one using both beets and lentils and BOOM, here I am. Making this today. We love the Hood River area and live close by. Glad you got to come visit, it is a lovely place to be!
Alanna says
Lucky you to live in such a gorgeous place! I'm so glad you found your way to this space, and I hope you love Andrea's recipe. :)
Liv says
I tried out this recipe and absolutely loved it! I love the combination of ingredients and the dill sauce was a nice touch to the dish.
Alanna says
Yay! So glad you liked it! Thanks for the sweet note. :)
Meredith says
Saw this on Pinterest being sold: Don't know if this is your catering/ delivery business or not but I saw this recipe being sold by a company called The Custom Plate. If you are not aware, thought you might like to check it out. https://thecustomplate.com/products/roasted-beet-carrot-lentil-salad-with-dill-dressing?variant=45324290184
Gorgeous dish!
Alanna says
Thank you so much for letting me know! I sell my photos as stock images so I'm guessing that's where they got it.
Christa says
This looks wonderful! Any suggestions on making this vegan, i.e. substitutes for yogurt and feta?
Alanna says
Hi Christa, you could try a dairy-free plain yogurt (I like Kite Hill and Forager) and maybe olives in place of the feta for some briny goodness? Let me know how you like it!
Tricia says
I made this for supper this evening - absolutely delicious! I am not a fan of dill, so I left it out. Will definitely be making it again.
Thank you!
Alanna says
I have mixed feelings about dill, too - so glad it was still delish!
Barbara Alfeo says
I love this! I am writing vegetarian recipe round ups on my blog in 2018 (to encourage people to try meatless monday) and would love to feature you. You can check out my blog (for beginner environmentalists) at sunshineguerrilla.com. Is it alright if I share this link to your recipe?
Sara Krohn says
I just made and ate this tonight. tomorrow night i'll have enough patience to add the sliced almonds. It was everything i had hoped it would be ! With leftovers, even. Thank you!!
Marie says
Our favourite recipe now!
We cooked rather Hokkaido instead of beet...
Delicious, thanks for sharing!
Regards from Prague,
Marie
Alanna says
Super glad to hear you liked it! Enjoy :)
Melissa says
I made this today for our easter lunch. It was delicious.
Alanna says
So glad you liked it! Just curious why the 4 stars? Did you think it could be improved? Thanks for any feedback!
Best Instapot says
I like this very much because it will be my recommendation for the upcoming Thanksgiving dinner in my family’s
Annaleigh christie says
I made this is the spring and my friends LOVED it. They thought it was so fancy and complex. I am going to make it using red beats and purple carrots at for a Christmas potluck and it will be holiday colors! It’s a go to at my dinner parties now. I’ll post a pic of the holiday version.
Alanna says
I'm so glad you like it! I can't wait to see the festive holiday version too. :)
Anne says
An excellent salad enjoyed by all the guests! Highly recommended. ♥️♥️♥️
Taryn says
I halved this recipe and made it for dinner for myself last week. SO tasty. The lemon yogurt sauce provided the perfect tanginess (is that a word?) to complement the lentils and roasted veggies. Plus, it's always a bonus when a dish looks as gorgeous as it tastes! I had leftovers for two more meals and definitely hope to make this again.
Alanna says
I'm SO glad you enjoyed it! I absolutely adore this cookbook and the recipe. :)
Olga Byakina says
This was on my Pinterest board for a long time and I finally made this salad today. It came out amazing!!!!! Definitely saving this recipe!
Alanna says
I'm so glad it was worth waiting for! Feel free to give it a star rating if you like. :)
Angie N says
I made this for a teacher appreciation lunch at my sons school tomorrow. Followed all directions pretty much as written except I roasted beets and carrots at 400 convection roast setting on my oven. I put a small portion of the salad together tonight just to make sure it tasted good. It is SO delicious! I added a touch more salt to the dressing for my palate but that in itself is so yummy. I put a dollop on some simple Yukon gold roasted potatoes I had and recommend that to anyone reading! I’m hoping it goes over well with the teachers but I will definitely make this for myself again (especially the dressing!).
Alanna Taylor-Tobin says
I'm so glad you love the salad, I hope it's a huge hit at the lunch tomorrow! Definitely going to try this dressing on roasted potatoes – YUM! Thanks a bunch for the note, rating, and tip!
Amy says
I found this last week and made it tonight. I couldn't find beets (probably operator error at the grocery store!) so subbed in sweet potato. It. Was. To. Die For. This is going into the regular rotation, I loved loved loved it! I loved the way the dill and feta and sweet potato were all so different but so lovely, too, together. It felt indulgent but also quite healthy. Thanks very much for sharing this with all of us!
Alanna Taylor-Tobin says
I'm so glad you loved this salad and that it worked well with sweet potatoes subbed for beets - brilliant! Thanks so much for the kind note and rating, they're much appreciated!