Salad on a white plate with ingredients in bowls nearby.

Nov 13, 20261 min read

Carrot and Black Beluga Lentil Salad

Name: Carrot and Black Beluga Lentil Salad
Ingredients: 12 oz carrots, diced; 1 medium apple (Cosmic Crisp works great!), diced; 3 Tbl pumpkin seeds, raw or roasted as you prefer; ½ cup Clear Creek Black Beluga Lentils, uncooked; 2 cups water (for cooking lentils); Optional: pomegranate seeds, roasted chunks of pumpkin or butternut squash, and fresh parsley (for garnish!); 3 Tbl maple syrup; 2 Tbl stone-ground mustard; 1 ½ tsp dried thyme; ½ c. extra virgin olive oil; Juice of 1 orange; Salt and pepper to taste

It’s time to celebrate an under appreciated the ingredient: the lentil!

A bag of black lentils spilled on a countertop.

What I love about lentils is that they are a blank canvas and will take on what you pair them with. The black beluga lentil is a small little lentil, nearly spherical in shape and a dark blue-almost-black in color. They're named for the famous caviar which they so closely resemble. They have a slightly nutty taste and are a great source of fiber and protein. Black beluga lentils are great for salads as they absorb the dressing so well.

Ingredients for a salad next to a bag of lentils.

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Carrot and Black Beluga Lentil Salad

Shari Dean @theflouringhome

For this festive fall salad, we’re using our garden harvest as the main ingredient staples: carrots, apples, and pumpkin seeds bring this salad together. If you want to bring a show stopper of a side dish to your next fall party, try this beluga lentil salad!

Ingredients

Salad

12 oz carrots, diced
1 medium apple (Cosmic Crisp works great!), diced
3 Tbl pumpkin seeds, raw or roasted as you prefer
½ cup Clear Creek Black Beluga Lentils, uncooked
2 cups water (for cooking lentils)
Optional: pomegranate seeds, roasted chunks of pumpkin or butternut squash, and fresh parsley (for garnish!)

Marinade/Dressing

3 Tbl maple syrup
2 Tbl stone-ground mustard
1 ½ tsp dried thyme
½ c. extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 orange
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Prepare lentils by rinsing in cold water. Put them in a mesh strainer (a standard colander has too big of holes and the lentils will fall out) and hold under running water for half a minute or so, shaking gently or shifting them with your fingers so they all get clean. Alternatively, put them in the cooking pot and swish them around with some water. Do this a few times with fresh water each round.
Bring 2 cups of clean water (not what you used for rinsing the lentils) to a boil in a medium-size pot. Add rinsed lentils and reduce heat to a simmer. Stir occasionally and cook 15 min. Allow to rest 5 min off heat to finish cooking before putting in the refrigerator to cool.
Combine all marinade ingredients in a small bowl or jar and mix well. Preheat your oven at this stage, to 425ºF.
Put chopped carrots in the salad bowl and pour in HALF of the marinade. Mix well so every piece is well-coated. Be sure to reserve half the marinade to use as salad dressing later.
Transfer carrots to an oven-proof dish and roast in preheated oven for 30 min, or until they’ve reached your desired texture. Allow to cool completely.
In the salad bowl combine cooked lentils, roasted carrots, diced apple, pumpkin seeds, and remaining dressing. Add any optional ingredients you’ve chosen, and mix well. Garnish with chopped parsley if desired. Enjoy!