My new cookbook, Oh She Glows Salads, is here!
It’s almost here! 🥹
Oh She Glows Salads is officially out in the world tomorrow…which feels a bit surreal considering how long this book has been living in my kitchen (and in my brain). There were hundreds upon hundreds of trials and test batches, a slightly concerning amount of salad dressing consumption, a slightly concerning amount of carrot cake eating (j/k…that obviously could never happen!), and more “just another tweak” urges than I can count.
This book is all about the kind of salads I actually want to eat—hearty, flavour-packed, and satisfying enough to hold their own as a full meal. The kind you make once and then immediately start craving again the next day. The kinds that can be made ahead, keep well in the fridge for leftovers, and fit into whatever kind of craving strikes. They can be mixed and matched and changed up in so many fresh ways, simply by swapping one awesome dressing for another, or by switching up the protein toppers and flavour boosters. Think: salads you wish you could order off a restaurant menu. I can’t wait for you to cook from this book in your own kitchens—and for these recipes to bring renewed salad joy and inspiration into your lives!
Before we dig in, I want to say a huge thank you to my incredible, small-but-mighty team, Eric and Nicole, and to my amazing recipe testers (Nicole, Anne, Lynn, Tana, Caroline, Carin, Danielle, Laura, Heather, Erin, Stephanie R., Adrienne, Anna, Vanessa, Kirsten, Kathy, Suzanne, Elizabeth, Audrey, Tammy, Stephanie St., and Stephanie Sc.!!). This cookbook has been made infinitely better due to your dedication, enthusiasm, creativity, diligence, and eagerness to help. Also, a huge thanks to the entire Penguin Random House team, who have helped make this book come to life every step along the way.
To celebrate today, I’m sharing my Warm and Cozy Roasted Mediterranean Lentil Salad with Zesty Lemon, Dill, and Oregano Dressing from the new book! I just love this recipe during the spring, fall, and winter months. It’s so cozy and comforting while feeling super light and energizing at the same time (my jam). If you’ve ever been skeptical of salads being exciting (or satisfying…or something you dream about in your sleep…or is that just me?), consider this your official invitation to change that pattern.
Featuring all new, protein-packed salads, hearty toppers, flavour boosters, and dressings you’ll want to drink, my new cookbook will transform the way you think about salads. Oh, and be sure to flip to the back for a surprise dessert chapter!
Warm and Cozy Roasted Mediterranean Lentil Salad
Yield
4 (1¾-cup) salads
Prep time
35 minutes
Cook time
30 minutes
Total time
1 hour, 5 minutes
This warm salad is so cozy on cool, rainy days in spring and summer, and on crisp nights in fall and winter. I love how the hydrating zucchini, sweet grape tomatoes, crispy yellow potatoes, and zippy bell peppers transform during roasting into a slightly caramelized, rich, and warming salad that contrasts so deliciously with the invigorating Zesty Lemon, Dill, and Oregano Dressing (page 239, Oh She Glows Salads). My favourite way to enjoy this salad is spooned over a bed of dressed baby romaine lettuce. Right before digging in, I always give it a drizzle of runny tahini and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to take it over the top! It’s also delicious paired with toasted pita bread for scooping, piled high on my Garlic-Infused Olive Oil Crostini (page 249, Oh She Glows Salads), or topped with cubes of my tangy Vegan Feta Cheese (page 259, Oh She Glows Salads).
Ingredients
- 4 medium (690 g total) yellow potatoes, peeled
- 1 large or 2 small (290 g total) zucchini
- 2 medium (400 g total) red bell peppers, seeded
- 1 pint (283 g) grape tomatoes*
- 3 tablespoons (45 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
- Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 batch Zesty Lemon, Dill, and Oregano Dressing
- 1½ cups (250 g) cooked brown lentils, drained and rinsed**
- ½ cup packed (19 g) fresh dill, minced
- ½ cup packed (15 g) fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
- ½ cup (80 g) oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and finely chopped
Optional serving suggestions:
- Dressed baby romaine or butter lettuce
- Drizzle of runny tahini
- Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
Directions
- Position the racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 400°F (200°C). Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Chop the peeled potatoes, zucchini, and bell peppers into ¾-inch (2 cm) pieces, adding them to the 2 prepared baking sheets as you go (you should have 4 cups potatoes, 2 cups zucchini, and 3 heaping cups bell peppers). Cut the grape tomatoes in half, adding them to the baking sheets (you should have 1¾ cups).
- Sprinkle each sheet of veggies with half of the olive oil and toss until thoroughly coated. Season generously with salt and pepper. Spread in an even layer.
- Roast the veggies, uncovered, for 30 to 40 minutes, until fork-tender and golden, flipping the veggies and rotating the pans from upper to lower and back to front halfway through roasting.
- Meanwhile, make the Zesty Lemon, Dill, and Oregano Dressing.
- Prepare the lentils, dill, basil, and sun-dried tomatoes, adding them to a large bowl as you go. When the veggies are finished roasting, add them to the bowl and toss until well combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Assemble: Gather 4 large bowls. Divide the salad among the bowls (about 1¾ cups per bowl). Drizzle 3 generous tablespoons of dressing on top of each salad. Serve warm.
Tip:
Storage Tip: Store the salad and dressing in separate airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3 days. Revive the flavours with a squeeze of lemon juice, more dressing, and a sprinkle of salt. If you like the salad warm, heat individual bowls in the microwave until warm.
* If roasted tomatoes aren’t your thing, feel free to skip roasting them and serve them raw with the salad.
** You can use canned lentils or freshly cooked lentils. Be sure to rinse and drain well before use. Also, see “Pantry Staples” (page 342, Oh She Glows Salads).
This salad is also tasty served with my Immunity-Boosting Tahini Dressing (page 229, Oh She Glows Salads) or Velvety Cashew Garlic Dressing (page 226, Oh She Glows Salads) for a delectable creamy twist!
It was so cute…I made this recipe a few days ago, and as I was putting the finishing touches on the dish, my daughter Adriana looked at the opened cookbook, then to the salad, then to me, and said, “How does it look exactly like the cookbook photo?!” I looked at it, and she was right (photo above, don’t mind the bad lighting as I just snapped it on my phone!). This is exactly why I give so much detail in my recipes…I truly want them to turn out for you exactly like they do in my own home!! Best. Feeling. Ever.
Thank you for being here to share in my excitement today. Whether you’ve been here since the early blog days or you just found your way here recently, thank you for being part of this community and for your support and encouragement for what I do.
Well, I’m off to enjoy these salad leftovers for lunch…served warm over a bed of dressed baby butter lettuce…then drizzled with a squeeze of lemon juice, more dressing, and runny tahini…mmmm, already drooling!
P.S. I’m getting ready to send out a big In the Glow newsletter tomorrow with all kinds of behind the scenes photos and details of the cookbook creation. If you aren’t already subscribed, be sure to subscribe here so you don’t miss out. Also, we’ve been having some difficulty sending newsletters to Hotmail/Outlook/MSN accounts, so if you haven’t received any newsletters over the past couple of months, you may want to consider signing up with a different email client to ensure you receive them.
Happy salad cooking! I truly appreciate all of your support for Oh She Glows Salads—I can’t wait to hear what you think.
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