Healthy Diet Recipe: Roasted Vegetable and Puy Lentil Salad
I love this veggie-packed lunch that’s filling but still less than 500 calories. It is delicious hot or cold and can be kept for at least a day so you can save some for tomorrow’s packed lunch. You could hold back a handful of the roast veg and use to stuff a pitta bread or wheat-free wrap with a good handful of rocket for another quick lunch.
Ingredients
- 2 red romero peppers, seeds removed, cut into 4cm chunks
- 2 small courgettes, halved lengthways and cut into 4cm chunks
- 1 medium aubergine, cut into 4cm chunks
- 2 medium vine-ripened tomatoes, cut into eighths
- 1 medium red onion
- 2 cloves garlic, skins left on
- 100% extra virgin olive oil spray
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- Pinch of flaked sea salt, such as Maldon
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 x 400g tin Puy lentils, drained and rinsed
- Large handful fresh herbs (any combination of flatleaf parsley, basil, mint, chervil), leaves roughly chopped
Instructions
- Preheat a fan oven to 200°C.
- Tip the pepper, courgette, aubergine, tomato and onion onto a large (preferably non-stick) roasting tin or, to cook them a bit quicker, two smaller trays. Bash the garlic cloves to break the skin, but leave whole, and add to the vegetables. Spray with olive oil then toss together really well so everything is thoroughly coated.
- Pour over the balsamic vinegar, season with salt and pepper and roast for 25-30 minutes, stirring once or twice. Don’t rush the roasting stage – make sure the vegetables are softened and golden-brown at the edges to give a natural sweetness.
- Mix the drained lentils and fresh herbs together and divide between two plates. Spoon the roasted vegetables on top and serve.