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brown lentils and sweet potato salad with wooden spoons and blue bowl

Brown Lentils & Sweet potato salad

Diana Kostrov
This salad is my “go-to” for a quick, hearty meal. Sweet potatoes, lentils, apples, and goji berries combine with vegan feta for a satisfying, nutrient-rich bowl.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Main Course, Salad, Side Dish
Servings 4 servings

Equipment

  • Large salad bowl
  • Oven
  • Baking sheet with parchment paper

Ingredients
 

Baked Sweet Potato Cubes
  • 1 sweet potato (peeled and cut into cubes)
  • 2-3 tbsp olive oil (more if needed)
  • ½ tsp salt
  • Black pepper (to taste)
Dressing
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp oregano
  • ½ tsp sumac
  • 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • ½ tsp chili flakes
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup or 1 tbsp silan
  • 2 tsp Dijon mustard (or 1 tsp smooth Dijon mustard)
  • ⅓ cup lemon juice
  • ¼ cup olive oil
Salad
  • 250 g cooked brown or black lentils (about 1¼ cups cooked, or ½ cup dry)
  • 2 packed cups salad greens (roughly torn (see note 1))
  • ⅓ cup pecans or walnuts (broken into pieces)
  • ¼ cup vegan feta (cubed small. I'm using my Easy-Bake Almond Feta - https://www.dianavfood.com/easy-bake-almond-feta/.)
  • 1 medium Pink Lady apple (diced small)
  • ¼ cup goji berries

Instructions
 

  • Roast sweet potato – Preheat oven to 180ºC / 360ºF. Spread sweet potato cubes on a parchment-lined baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper. Roast 15–20 minutes, stirring halfway, until browned and tender. Cool before adding to salad.
  • Make dressing – Whisk together salt, oregano, sumac, nutritional yeast, chili flakes, maple or silan, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, and olive oil until smooth. Adjust seasoning as needed.
  • Prep lentils – If using canned, rinse and drain well, then pat dry.
  • Combine salad – In a large bowl, add lentils, roasted sweet potatoes, greens, pecans, vegan feta, and apple. Pour dressing over.
  • Toss gently – Mix just until combined and serve fresh.

Notes

  1. Salad greens – Any mix you love. I’m using Lamb’s lettuce, but spinach, arugula, or mixed lettuce work well too.
  2. Keeps in the fridge up to 3 days; best served slightly chilled.
  3. For IBS-friendly: use maple syrup (not silan), stick with low-FODMAP greens (arugula, spinach), and limit serving of sweet potato.
  4. Gluten-free: naturally gluten-free as written.
  5. Nut-free: swap pecans for pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds.