Lentil Vegetable Salad with Miso-Harrisa Dressing
I have a new favorite meal. Are you shocked? I know I say those words obnoxiously often on this site but the truth is I always mean it. And this meal is no exception. I’ve made it two nights in a row (per Taylor’s request!) and I can safely say that I am addicted to The Silk Road’s Moroccan Harissa spice bend. You can easily make this spice blend yourself, but I just so happen to have a few extra jars in my kitchen and I am happily using them up.
In case you are wondering, it is still snowing here. Being housebound has not been very fun. Thankfully we have all of my favorite ingredients on hand in the kitchen and a well stocked bar. It also helps that Henry is pretty stoked to be running around the farm in 2 feet of snow.
Anyhow, back to this salad. If you haven’t tried harissa yet you are in for a treat. The combination of harissa and miso is a match made in heaven. I’ve made a similar dressing before but I tweaked it quite a bit and I am really loving this new version. Be aware that different brands of harissa can vary greatly in spice. I love spice so I tend to go heavy with it. However, it’s a good idea to always start with less and add more as needed. You can purchase harissa as a spice blend or as a paste. Either will work here but I prefer the spice blend.
If you aren’t housebound or stuck in a blizzard I highly recommend running to the nearest grocery store to pick up all the goods to whip up this salad. Pour a glass of red wine and dig in!
Lentil Vegetable Salad with Miso-Harissa Dressing
Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 30 minutes Serves: 4
- 1 cup dried brown lentils
- 1 TBS grapeseed oil (or oil of choice)
- 1 small head of cauliflower, chopped into florets
- 4 large carrots, sliced into 1/4 inch chunks
- 1 cup cooked chickpeas (if canned rinsed and drained)
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1/4 cup parsley
- 1/4 cup white miso
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 TBS water
- 1-2 TBS harissa spice blend (less if you are sensitive to spice)
- 1 tsp honey
- 2 TBS rice wine vinegar
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
- Bring 3 cups of water to a boil in a medium sized saucepan. Stir in lentils, reduce heat, and simmer uncovered until lentils are tender. About 20 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- In a large bowl combine the carrots, cauliflower, and chickpeas. Toss with 1 TBS oil and place in a single layer on a prepared baking sheet. Roast in the oven until tender and lightly browned (about 25 minutes) tossing veggies once halfway through cooking time.
- To prepare the dressing combine all the ingredients together and whisk until smooth. If dressing is too thick add a little more water to thin it out. Taste test and set aside. (The dressing should be incredibly flavorful. If it's too salty or spicy add a little more water or olive oil to mellow it out)
- Once veggies and lentils are both done cooking combine them in a large bowl. Stir in the raisins and drizzle with dressing. Top with finely chopped parsley and serve warm.
Notes
Use this recipe as a guide. Adjust measurements and ingredients as necessary.
Looks amazing! I’ll have to try this FOR SURE!! I presume that for the dressing I can use maple syrup as my sweetener for vegan purposes? YUM – can’t wait to try this!
yep! maple syrup will work as a great substitute! Enjoy!
Just the title in the email had me drooling on my desk! I just so happen to have most of the ingredients at home, and I feel like this is a perfect meal for snuggling on the couch on our next cool weekend at home.
Thanks for sharing!
let me know if you make this!!! Enjoy.
Such a cute pup 🙂 And such a flavorful looking salad! This is the kind of winter salad I can get behind. Still so curious about the harissa and am taking way too long to discover it for myself!
Isn’t he sweet!
I can’t believe eeeeeeeeeeeveryone is getting snow but us!!!! I just threw myself on the ground like a ragdoll in case you were wondering. 😉
I must try harissaaaaaa! I must!! This veggie salad looks like my new favorite meal, too!
This sounds like my next dinner. 🙂
PS I”m not sure if you read the blog The Law Student’s Wife, but she posted a beet risotto today and I instantly thought of you. Valentine’s Day dinner?? I think so!
haha! I’m heading over to check out that recipe right now. Sounds perfect and right up my alley!
Ommgeee, this looks good! I happen to have both harrisa and miso in the fridge. You’ve inspired tonight’s dinner (lentil mushroom harrisa spaghetti) and now I have another to add to the meal plan next week. Keep ’em comin’ girl!
p.s. I love Henry too. 🙂
Dogs are the best aren’t they?
Looks like another yummy recipe and I love Henry too! My dogs absolutely love the snow. They run around like puppies 🙂 I have a non-food question: do you still get out and run in this kind of winter weather? I’m having such a hard time with my running motivation this winter. We’ve had an unusually cold winter in NC this year and 10 inches of snow today – crazy!
I’ve still managed to get out and run a few times during this storm, but I’ve had to put yak tracks on. It’s been REALLY hard to stay motivated. Thank god for Henry. If he wasn’t around to bug me to hit the trails i would not still be running. Don’t beat yourself up though. The weather will get better and then you can lace up again!
I am sure this dressing would be one of my favourites. I can already imagine its intense aroma and flavour. Can’t wait to try it out!
This salad looks fantastic! I will try it!
This is the second time I’ve returned for this recipe. Fair to say I owe you a thank you. This recipe is awesome! I bought a Harissa spice blend for the first time the day you posted this. Love your blog & so many of its great recipes!
I’m so happy you love this as much as we do!