Lentils with Summer Vegetables

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I am on a lentil binge these last few weeks. After the yummy lentil cakes last week I decided I need more lentils in my life! Craig and I hit the farmer's market on Saturday, where I picked up some tasty eggplant, zucchini, carrots and cauliflower. These beautiful summer veggies inspired me to create a tasty lentil salad that would be healthy and hearty.

My original plan was to grill the veggies and then chop them up and toss them in a salad with some lentils. Unfortunately, the weather did not agree, so I threw them in the oven instead. I'm glad I did, because instead of smoky barbecue flavor, these veggies got incredibly sweet and crisp. For flavor, I tossed them with a light splash of balsamic.

I used french lentils (also called puy). I chose these because they are smaller and retain their shape better while cooking. To finish off the salad, I added some yummy fresh herbs and tomatoes from my garden! I am SO EXCITED to start harvesting and eating the crops we've been working so hard on for the past few months. I took a bunch of garden picks and will update you all later this week.

Here's what I picked:

Full recipe after the jump



Ingredients:
French or Puy lentils
low sodium veggie broth
1 medium eggplant, cut into 1" cubes
1 medium zucchini, cut into 1" cubes
1 medium bulb of fennel, halved and cut into 1" chunks (reserve fronds)
4 large carrots, peeled and halved lengthwise and cut into 1" chunks
1 head of cauliflower, washed and cut into florets
2 bell peppers, washed, seeded and cut into 1" chunks
salt and pepper
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tsp honey
fresh parsley
fresh basil
handful of cherry tomatoes
optional: goat cheese

Instructions:
1. Cook lentils in veggie broth according to package directions, cool and set aside
2. Preheat oven to 425 (veggies can also be grilled)
3. Toss veggies with olive oil, 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar and season with salt and pepper
4. Roast veggies 20-25 minutes, stirring frequently. When finished, they should be slighly browned
5. Toss veggies with lentils
6. Mix together 1 tbsp balsamic with dijon and honey
7. Toss salad with dressing and allow to cool
8. Serve cooled salad with chopped cherry tomatoes, fresh basil and parsley
9. Optional: garnish with 1/2 oz crumbled goat cheese