Lentils with Roasted Beets & Carrots & Creamy Tahini
This easy to prepare dish is bursting with the flavors of spring on our farm. Roasted carrots and beets are tossed in a sweet and tangy tahini dressing and served alongside sautéd kale, lentils, and toasted seeds to make a salad that serves as a complete, satisfying meal.
We’re experiencing our first heatwave of the season and light dinners like this are what we’ve been craving after a hot day in the fields. This meal would taste great with added grilled chicken or steak but if you’re a vegetarian or simply don’t want the hassle of adding anything else to this dish, it tastes great as is and has plenty of protein and fiber to keep you full.
Grab the ingredients for this meal at your local farmers market or if you’re a Tumbleweed Farm CSA member, you get all the ingredients in this week’s share!
Lentils with Beets & Carrots + Creamy Tahini
Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 40 minutes Serves: 4
Tahini Sauce- 1 clove of garlic, minced (or garlic scape)
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- fat pinch of unrefined salt
- 3 medium-sized beets sliced into 1/2 inch chunks
- 6 medium sized carrots, sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
- salt and pepper
- 1/4 cup olive oil, divided
- 1 bunch of kale, tough stems removed and torn into bite size pieces
- 1 1/2 cups French green lentils, rinsed and picked over
- 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and left whole, or 3 roughly chopped garlic scapes
- 1 bay leaf
- toasted sunflower seeds for serving
- feta cheese for serving
- minced dill for serving (optional)
Preparation
- Prepare the sauce by combining all the ingredients in a blender or use an immersion blender and blend until smooth. Add a touch of water if the sauce it too thick. Taste for seasonings and adjust as needed.
- Preheat the oven to 425F. Toss the beets and carrots with 2 Tablespoons of the olive oil. Season generously with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven until golden and tender, about 30 minutes, tossing halfway.
- In a large cast iron skillet over medium heat, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Stir in the kale, in batches if needed and cook until bright green and tender. Season with plenty of salt and pepper.
- Meanwhile place the lentils, garlic and bay leaf in a pot and cover with enough water to cover them by a few inches. Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 18-20 minutes. Drain the lentils and discard the garlic and bay leaf.
- Divide the cooked lentils, kale, and roasted veggies between plates. Drizzle with the sauce, sprinkle with feta cheese, toasted seeds and minced dill if desired.
Notes
Use this recipe as a guide and adjust measurements and ingredients as needed