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Lentil & Roasted Carrot Salad with Feta
Recipe

Lentil & Roasted Carrot Salad with Feta

Main • South Africa

A satisfying warm-leaning salad that eats like a proper main: tender lentils, caramelised carrots, crunchy seeds and creamy feta in a zesty, herby dressing.

Why smarter

Lentils bring protein and fibre for staying power, while roasting boosts flavour so you can keep the dressing light and use feta in a measured amount.

Chef tip

Roast the carrots until you see deep golden edges—those caramelised bits make the whole salad taste richer without extra fat.

Soft line

Great for lunch boxes or an easy weeknight main.

Ingredients

# Ingredient Text Amount Unit Ingredient Name Notes
1 Dried brown lentils, rinsed 1.000 cup Dried brown lentils Or green lentils
2 Water 3.000 cups Water For cooking lentils
3 Carrots, peeled and cut into sticks or thick slices 600.000 g Carrots
4 Canola oil 2.000 tsp Canola oil For roasting
5 Ground cumin 1.000 tsp Ground cumin
6 Smoked paprika (or sweet paprika) 1.000 tsp Paprika
7 Salt 0.750 tsp Salt Divided, to taste
8 Black pepper Black pepper To taste
9 Red onion, thinly sliced 0.500 Red onion About 1/2 medium
10 Baby spinach or rocket 80.000 g Baby spinach Or rocket
11 Feta, crumbled 120.000 g Feta
12 Pumpkin seeds 3.000 tbsp Pumpkin seeds Lightly toasted if you like
13 Fresh parsley, chopped 0.500 cup Parsley
14 Lemon juice 3.000 tbsp Lemon juice About 1 large lemon
15 Extra lemon zest 1.000 tsp Lemon zest Optional but recommended
16 Dijon mustard 1.000 tsp Dijon mustard
17 Honey 1.000 tsp Honey Or sugar
18 Canola oil 1.000 tbsp Canola oil For dressing
19 Garlic, finely grated or crushed 1.000 clove Garlic

Method

  1. Heat the oven to 220°C. Line a tray with baking paper.
  2. Toss carrots with 2 tsp canola oil, cumin, paprika, a pinch of salt and pepper. Roast 20–25 minutes, turning once, until tender with browned edges.
  3. Meanwhile, cook lentils: add lentils and water to a pot, bring to a simmer and cook 18–22 minutes until just tender. Drain well and cool 5 minutes so they’re warm, not steaming.
  4. Whisk the dressing: lemon juice, zest (if using), Dijon mustard, honey, 1 tbsp canola oil, garlic, and a small pinch of salt and pepper.
  5. In a large bowl, toss warm lentils with sliced red onion and half the dressing. Let stand 5 minutes to soften the onion slightly.
  6. Add roasted carrots, spinach/rocket and parsley. Toss gently, adding more dressing as needed.
  7. Fold through half the feta, then scatter the remaining feta on top.
  8. Finish with pumpkin seeds. Taste and adjust with extra lemon juice, salt and pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature.