Warm, Creamy, Winter Salad with Crispy Lentils, Roasted Cauliflower & Cavolo Nero (vegan, gluten-free)

Who said salads need to be boring!? This warm winter salad is so comforting and satisfying thanks to the roasted veg and lentils, and the creamy sunflower seed dressing, and flavourful, thanks to the combination of spices and fresh herbs. It’s jam-packed with heart healthy fats, and a good dose of protein, to keep you feeling full and satisfied.

This is without a doubt the best salad I have ever made. The combination of dill, parsley, and coriander, is my favourite herb combination at the moment, and they pair so well with the cumin and smoked paprika. I’m also a big fan of the crispy lentil salad trend. It adds such a good texture, and goes really well with the roasted cauliflower and carrot.

Nutrition wise, it packs in lots of heart healthy fats thanks to the sunflower seeds and olive oil. Sunflower seeds are also particularly high in vitamin E, which is great for your skin and eyes. I aim to eat them every day or two to help me meet my requirements. It also provides around 23 grams of protein per serve, which is coming mostly from the lentils and nutritional yeast, and some from the seeds and veg. Cruciferous veg like cauliflower are actually surprisingly high in protein. I feel the protein content in veg is often forgotten about, but one cup of cauliflower provides a little over 2 grams of protein. So it all adds up!

You can find the recipe reel from my Instagram below - check it out!

There are a few steps to this recipe, but I promise it’s worth it. The recipe serves three, so it works great for meal-prep. Just add the creamy dressing when it’s ready to serve.

Print

With ImageWithout Image

Warm, Creamy, Winter Salad with Crispy Lentils, Roasted Cauliflower & Cavolo Nero

Yield: 3

Author: Emily Maun

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 35 MinTotal time: 50 Min

This warm winter salad is creamy, flavourful, comforting, and packed with fibre, plant protein, and healthy fats - helping to keep you feeling full and satisfied.

Ingredients

To Roast

• 350g cauliflower, chopped into small florets
• 160g carrot, chopped into 1 inch pieces
• 1 tin beluga lentils, drained and rinsed
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp salt

For the dressing

• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
• 1/2 cup water
• Juice from 1 lemon (40ml)
• 4 tbsp nutritional yeast (1/4 cup)
• 2/3 tsp salt
• Black pepper
• 1 garlic clove

Remaining salad ingredients

• 6 stalks of cavolo nero, finely chopped (80g)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Pinch of salt
• 2 spring onions, finely sliced
• 1 tbsp chopped dill
• Handful of fresh parsley
• Handful of fresh coriander

Instructions

1. Boil the kettle and soak the sunflower seeds in the boiled water in a small bowl for at least 20 minutes to soften.
2. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius and line two baking trays with parchment paper.
3. To roast the vegetables and lentils, mix the olive oil, paprika, cumin, garlic powder, and salt in a small bowl. Add the cauliflower and carrots to one tray and lentils to the other. Add half of the oil mixture to the vegetables, and the remaining to the lentils. Mix well with your hands to coat, and roast in the oven for 30-35 minutes, until the vegetables have browned and the lentils are crispy. Mix half way through to ensure even cooking.
4. Add the remaining olive oil to a pan on a medium heat and sauté the cavolo nero for around 3 minutes, until softened. Add a pinch of salt to season.
5. Drain the sunflower seeds and add to a blender with the remaining dressing ingredients. Blend until smooth and creamy.
6. Add everything to a large salad bowl with the dressing, mix well, and serve.

Notes

If you are making this ahead of time as meal prep, store the dressing separate and add when ready to eat.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

505

Fibre

20 g

Protein

23 g

** Nutritional info is per serve (one-third of the recipe).