Brown Butter Lentil and Sweet Potato Salad
- Total Time
- 35 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:4 to 6 servings
- 1pound sweet potatoes, butternut squash or carrots, peeled and cut into ¾-inch pieces (about 4 cups)
- 2tablespoons olive oil
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 1cup French green lentils or black lentils, rinsed
- ½cup chopped fresh parsley leaves and tender stems
- ½cup crumbled goat cheese (optional)
- 1tablespoon minced fresh sage leaves
- 4tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 2tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1teaspoon maple syrup
- Kosher salt and black pepper
For the Salad
For the Brown Butter Vinaigrette
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
357 calories; 18 grams fat; 8 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 38 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams dietary fiber; 5 grams sugars; 12 grams protein; 354 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered byPreparation
- Step 1
Heat the oven to 375 degrees and set a rack in the center.
- Step 2
Prepare the sweet potatoes: On a baking sheet, toss the sweet potatoes with the olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Spread into an even layer and roast, stirring occasionally, until golden and tender, 15 to 25 minutes.
- Step 3
While the sweet potatoes cook, prepare the lentils: Add the lentils to a medium pot and cover with about 6 cups water. Salt the water generously and bring the mixture to a boil. Turn the heat down to a simmer and cook the lentils until just tender, 15 to 25 minutes. Drain the lentils then return them to the pot. Cover to keep warm.
- Step 4
Prepare the vinaigrette: Add the sage to a small bowl. Melt the butter in a small skillet set over medium heat. (Use a pan with a light interior so you can easily see the milk solids change color.) Cook the butter a few minutes, stirring occasionally and scraping the milk solids off the bottom and sides of the pan as needed, until the milk solids turn golden brown and smell toasty.
- Step 5
Pour the hot browned butter and all of the toasty bits over the sage; it will crackle and foam a bit. Let the mixture sit for 1 minute to let the foam subside, then whisk in the olive oil, followed by the red wine vinegar and maple syrup. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Step 6
Add the cooked sweet potatoes to the pot with the warm lentils. Pour the dressing over the top and stir gently to combine. Add the parsley, season with more salt and pepper, if desired, and toss to combine.
- Step 7
Transfer the mixture to a serving dish and sprinkle with goat cheese, if using. Serve warm.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Joanna
Firstly; it's absolutely superb. Secondly: serving 4-6 is ...uh....optimistic. I'd put it more 3-4 at best. For those who don't like goat cheese, feta works quite nicely.
Jess
This dish made a perfect meatless Monday meal. You’ll definitely want to make sure the lentils still have a bite to them and the goat cheese adds a great creaminess to the dish. I added pepitas for an extra layer of texture.
sspencer
I made this tonight and thought it was very good. I'm vegan so had to modify slightly--I used good quality olive oil in place of butter and cubed avocado in place of cheese. I also tossed in some pepitas as someone else here suggested. I would definitely make it again, but I might also try it with basil instead of sage. I felt like the sage bordered on being too strong for my personal taste. But overall a great dish that went over well with me and my partner.
Elizabeth
Made for lunch. Directions were perfect. Used a Japanese sweet potatoe. Very delicious and hearty! Would add some more acid (lemon juice or pomegranate seeds) if I made it again.
KylieJ
This dish was fantastic. Just a few modifications to use what I had on hand: -cooked lentils in 2 cups water, 2.5 cups chicken stock (highly recommend for a flavor boost) -used roasted carrots instead of sweet potatoes -used crumbled feta instead of goat cheese -added olive-oil packed tuna on top for extra protein I will absolutely make this again and perhaps swap out the maple syrup for Dijon mustard in the vinaigrette (I love the briny tang!). Looking forward to the leftovers!
Julia
We added a fried egg on top and it was a delicious dinner. I added some mushrooms that needed to be used up and balsamic instead of red wine vinegar. The goat cheese added important depth to the flavors but I think feta could work too.
Victoria
Made with butternut squash, which took a bit longer to cook than specified, maybe 35 minutes. Had only dried ground sage, of which I used 1 tsp. Otherwise followed the recipe exactly. This was very good! It was just a tad sweet for my taste, so next time I might cut back just a bit on the maple syrup and/or increase the vinegar.
John
This recipe SLAPS. I made it with farro and added what I had on hand--chopped dates, apples, and some candied pecans. The goat cheese brings it all together.
PandemicBaker
Really good. Even my lentil-skeptical husband enjoyed it. I'd like to make it a more complete meal. Has anyone tried including kale or chard? Adding some tahini/yogurt or pom molasses (instead of maple syrup) at the end? Serving it with farro or wheatberries?
Karin
This was great! I highly recommend the goat cheese; it really makes it. I did this as a make-ahead for Easter. I cooked the lentils. Made the vinaigrette in a jar (Have a way to warm it up; the butter solidifies.) And roasted the potatoes and kept them separate. Warmed it all up and combined at the event. It was a little complicated, but not too bad and the results were delicious. It's also beautiful.
Julia
I made it last night for dinner and tried a bite of it cold for lunch today so I could answer your question. I found it to be okay cold, but much better warm. Maybe if you tossed in some arugula to make it more salad-like it would be better cold or room temp.
D-Lish
Such a unique lentil dish. My modifications were as follows: 1) sheep’s milk feta instead of goat cheese; 2) I simply poured the browned sage butter over the lentils and diced butternut squash and mixed; 3) each time I reheat (leftovers), I finish with a big lemon squeeze for acidity/brightness (didn’t add any vinegar) and stir in a heaping helping of fresh chopped cilantro and parsley. A-MAY-ZING!
Ann M
Someone else mentioned that they used a good olive oil instead of butter.
Lisa
This is a yummy dish that I will definitely make again. Followed the recipe exactly, only doubled it for more leftovers. The next day, I used the defrost setting on my microwave in an attempt not to remove the flavor of the red wine vinegar. (It worked! I got the lentils just slightly above room temp!) Also I recommend adding more fresh Italian parsley to keep the brightness of flavor in the dish. Feta worked very well, can highly recommend.
Melissa
Use blue cheese on top instead of the goat cheese. The blue cheese is a perfect complement to the flavors in this dish.
me
Potatoes took longer
Allison
It is great
Clara
This is one of those dishes that doesn’t have the right to be this simple and still this delicious. I had some leftover bacon grease in my cast iron from breakfast, so I cooked the potatoes in that with some smashed garlic cloves. Used fresh basil instead of sage because it’s what I had on hand, added miso to the broth for the lentils, and a Touch of Dijon to the sauce. 10/10
sammo
Good, but better with smoked paprika. Next time I’d add some crunch, maybe celery?
isa
Delicious. I added walnuts and pomegranate seeds!
note
Better as a side
Lauren
I did a combo of subs that people suggested, 1tsp rubbed sage instead of fresh, feta cheese instead of goat, and some lemon juice to lighten up the flavor for summertime. I'm definitely adding this one to my pantry meals rotation!
egcieri
Needs more sauce. Was dry.
Care From Toronto
Made this almost as written. Used fresh dill and feta as that's what I had on hand. I needed a little extra vinegar. All in all it was excellent. I think the key is having firm lentils. Looking forward to leftovers tomorrow.
Taylor
Loved this! Autumn in a bowl. I roasted leftover broccoli along with sweet potato and it balanced the lentil to veggie ratio nicely. Cauliflower would work great too.
V.
I don’t like the dressing; it’s too sweet for me and it turns out I don’t like sage with sweet potatoes. For my second attempt, I subbed parsley and thyme for the sage in the brown butter, omitted the maple syrup, and switched to white wine vinegar. Still not perfect, but a lot better because it’s savory enough to counter the sweetness of the sweet potatoes. Next time I’d like to try lemon juice instead of the vinegar.
Ali
Really good! Worked great as meal-prepped lunches for the week. I used black lentils (cooked in a mix of chicken stock and water), skipped the sage in the vinaigrette (because I don't like it), and added sliced almonds to the top for crunch. Don't skip the goat cheese!
Gayle
This was delicious-even without the feta. After reading the comments I made a double batch and stashed leftovers in the fridge. Added a fried egg to make a very tasty and healthy meal.
Kath D
I love this dish! The sage notes add a nice punch and I feel healthy eating it! I add arugula and cherry tomatoes if I need to spread it out a bit.
leigh
So delicious. I used canned lentils and it turned out fine. Added sautéed fennel root which I highly recommended. It added a great crunch and layer of flavor. I used feta and it was delicious. I would maybe add nuts next time, but overall, no notes.
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