Roasted Cauliflower Carrot and Lentil Salad with Crispy Shallots

RECIPE

Notes from the cookbook

Emmy and I were driving to Assiniboine and talking about our favourite subjects: FOOD! Emmy is an amazingly talented foodie who has cooked for Vancouver film crews and at her- and back-country ski lodges. Recently, she had been making this crazy delicious salad for the film crews. The roasting of the spices and veggies makes this salad come to life! For added flavour, you could drizzle it with our Glory Bowl dressing found bottled in grocery stores or homemade from Whitewater Cooks: Pure, Simple and Real.

SERVES 4

Ingredients

• 1 cup green or black lentils [I have used either black beluga and Puy lentils]

• 1 cup chicken stock [I used veggie stock]

• 2 cups water

• 6 shallots, sliced thinly in rounds

• 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets

• 4 medium carrots, peeled and sliced diagonally into 1-inch pieces

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 1 tsp garam masala

• 1 tsp cumin seeds

• 1 tsp sea salt

• 1 tsp black pepper

• 1 garlic bulb, peeled and cloves left whole

• 1/2 lemon, juice

• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Method

• Cook lentils over medium-high heat in chicken stock and water for approximately 25-30 minutes, until just tender.

• Rinse under cold water and set aside.

• Fry shallots in vegetable oil until crisp, about 5 minutes.

• Preheat oven to 375°F.

• Place cauliflower, carrots, olive oil, garam masala, cumin seeds, salt, pepper and garlic cloves in a bowl and mix well.

• Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes, until slightly brown.

• Let cool, then put roasted cauliflower mixture in a salad bowl. [I timed it so that the mixture was still slightly warm.]

• Add cooked lentils and lemon juice and toss to combine. [Mix in plenty of the Glory Bowl dressing here!]

• Top with crispy shallots and cilantro.

Glory Bowl Dressing

This will make plenty of dressing, even when doubling the salad recipe and using it liberally (which I do).

• 1/2 cup nutritional yeast flakes

• 1/3 cup water

• 1/3 cup tamari or soy sauce

• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

• 2 cloves garlic, crushed

• 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

• 2 tbsp tahini paste

Combine nutritional yeast flakes, water, tamari or soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, tahini and crushed garlic in blender to prepare the dressing. 

Add oil in a steady stream. You will have leftover dressing to use again.