This Grilled Ratatouille Lentil Salad is a riff on the classic Provençal dish of simmered vegetables. Our version gets an upgrade by imparting the veggies with a slightly smoky flavor from the grill and then tossing them into a salad with nutritious lentils and a refreshing minty dressing. It’s a perfect vegetarian main dish for the summer season! The lentils and dressing can be made up to three days in advance, while the vegetables can be grilled the day before your gathering. But dress the salad only before serving.
Gone grill
No backyard grill? These vegetables can also be prepared by roasting them in a 400 F oven. Roast them on two baking sheets or in two batches to avoid overcrowding a single pan.
- 1 cup black (beluga) or green lentils, rinsed and picked over to remove any debris
- 2 2 medium or 1 large eggplant, halved lengthwise
- 2 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise
- 2 red bell peppers, quartered
- 1 medium red onion, quartered
- 1 cup crumbled feta
- 1/2 cup sliced sun-dried tomatoes
- 1/2 cup sliced Kalamata olives (optional)
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil or camelina oil
- 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar or white wine vinegar
- 1 cup Fresh mint
- 1/2 cup fresh basil
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 tsp honey
- 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard, gluten free if desired
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper, plus extra
- Place lentils, a couple pinches of salt, and 4 cups water in medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, covered, until lentils are tender but not too soft, about 15 to 20 minutes. Drain well.
- Lightly sprinkle cut sides of eggplant with salt and let sit for 15 minutes (you will see beads of water form on eggplant’s surface). Pat dry with paper towel.
- Heat grill to medium-high. Lightly brush eggplant, zucchini, peppers, and red onion with oil and season lightly with salt. Grill vegetables (in batches if there is not enough grill space) until charred in a few spots and tender, flipping once. Remove vegetables from grill as they finish cooking.
- Once vegetables are cool enough to handle, chop into 1/2 inch pieces, place in large bowl, and let sit for 10 minutes. Drain any liquid that has pooled in bottom of bowl and then toss vegetables with lentils, feta, sun-dried tomatoes, and olives if desired.
- To make dressing, in blender or food processor container, place 1/3 cup oil, vinegar, mint, basil, garlic, honey, mustard, salt, and black pepper and blend until smooth. Gently toss dressing with salad.
Per serving: 383 calories; 16 g protein; 20 g total fat (6 g sat. fat); 40 g total carbohydrates (11 g sugars, 18 g fiber); 682 mg sodium
