Roasted Shiitake and French Lentil Salad
Roasted? That's all I need!
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry French lentils, soaked four hours, rinsed
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 pound shiitake and cremini (brown button) mushrooms, cleaned and halved
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme or 2 teaspoons fresh thyme
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cups frozen pre-chopped butternut squash
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon oil
- dash chili flakes
- 1/2 cup diced red onion
- 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
- 2 large handfuls pre-washed arugula or baby kale (optional, but delicious!)
Dressing
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 2 teaspoons Dijon
- 2 cloves roasted garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees
- In a medium pot, bring French lentils to a boil with bay leaves until cooked but al dente about 15 - 20 minutes. Rinse, drain and season with salt and pepper.
- Spread mushrooms and onions on a rimmed cookie sheet, toss with extra virgin olive oil and thyme. Roast for 12-15, until mushrooms gain colour but before they start to wilt too much. Season with salt and pepper.
- Using a pot fitted with a steamer basket, steam butternut squash until warm and toss in maple, chili flakes, salt and pepper. (No steamer basket? Bring 1 inch of water to a boil and then toss in squash for just a minute or two)
- Meanwhile, whisk up dressing ingredients in a small bowl.
- In a large bowl, gently toss mushrooms, lentils and squash with dressing and sunflower seeds and season to taste.
Notes
No roasted garlic on hand? Two options! Slice the top 1/4 off a head of garlic. Place on a sheet of aluminum foil, drizzle with oil, salt and pepper. Twist up foil and pop in the oven as soon as you turn it on. Or, leave the cloves in the skin and roast up with the mushrooms and onions...then just pop (carefully!) cloves out of the skin.