Lentil Salad with Roasted Fennel and Carrots

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A hearty and healthy side dish or salad comprised of al dente lentils, oven roasted fennel and carrots and a rosemary-citrus vinaigrette.

Lentil Salad with Roasted Fennel and Carrots | mountainmamacooks.com
photo courtesy of Heidi

This recipe has been waiting in the queue since late fall. Unlike so many of my fellow bloggers, I don’t really follow much of an editorial schedule (or any schedule for that matter) and I’m not all that great at planning far in advance. The blog seems to runs smoother when I wing things and just sort of run with it. I’m long past trying to be something I’m not and being a tad unfocused works better for me so somehow I make it work. With that being said, whenever I find myself with some free time which unfortunately is not all that often, I like to stockpile a few recipes for a rainy day. That way when life gets in the way, I can pull a recipe already done and keep the blog a runnin’. And just to clarify, by stockpile I mean two. After this salad I’ll just have one recipe keeping me from being caught empty handed. Like I said, a planner I am not.

I’ll have plenty of time this week to play in the kitchen so once again, by the skin of my teeth, I’m saved!

Lentil Salad with Roasted Fennel and Carrots | mountainmamacooks.com
photo courtesy of Heidi

My in-laws are in town, it’s dumping outside which means I have I snowboard date with my better half this morning, and today we meet the contractor to get the balling rolling on the re-model of our new house. Busy, busy as usual and I’ll look forward to the end of the week when I’ll have some more time to play in the kitchen and work on that stockpile.

Thanks for reading and have a great day! And an even bigger thank you to Heidi for capturing these photos with her iPhone! xo, Kelley

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Lentil Salad with Roasted Fennel and Carrots

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  • Yield: 6 servings 1x
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Ingredients

For the vinaigrette:

  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon orange zest
  • 1/4 cups olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon fresh chopped rosemary
  • salt and pepper

For the salad:

  • 2 heads fennel, thinly sliced
  • 8 carrots (about 1 lb), cut into 1/4-inch thick coins
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 cups lentils
  • 5 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/4 cup chopped parsley
  • 1/4 cup chopped hazelnuts

Instructions

  1. To make the dressing, whisk all the ingredients together and set aside.
  2. To roast the veggies, preheat oven to 400F degrees. Toss sliced fennel and coined carrots on a baking sheet and drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper and toss. Roast vegetables for 30-35 minutes until vegetables are just caramelized and cooked through.
  3. Meanwhile, place lentils, garlic cloves and bay leaf in a large saucepan; cover with water to 2 inches above lentils. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer about 20 minutes or until just tender. Drain.
  4. Place lentils in a large bowl; stir in dressing and roasted vegetables. Season with a sprinkle of fresh ground pepper. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour (this tastes better after is sits for a bit).
  5. Just before serving, stir in parsley and hazelnuts. Serve at room temperature.