Can this be stored for meal prep?

If planning to use for meal prep, I would recommend prepping the components separately so that they can be tossed together when ready to serve. This will better maintain its texture and freshness. For this salad, roast up the lentils, cool, and store in a loosely covered container at room temperature for up to 3 days. The squash, cabbage and herbs can be tossed together and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. For the dressing, store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days.

Why are my lentils not crisping up?

If you’re roasting any lentil or bean, the crispiness is ultimately impacted by the moisture. It can be helpful to dry your cooked lentils as much as possible before you try and roast them. If your lentils start to soften a bit when storing, you can revive them by placing them in the oven at 350F on a baking tray for 5-8 minutes to crisp them back up.

Orange Chipotle Honeynut Cabbage Salad

Description

This Orange Chipotle Honeynut Cabbage Salad uses roasted honeynut squash, crispy lentils, and charred cabbage tossed in a zesty and smoky orange chipotle dressing. A hearty and warming bite perfect for any night of the week.

Ingredients

Scale

Kosher salt as needed
Cooked rice or toasted bread for serving

Crispy Lentils

3/4 cup dry French lentils or small brown lentils or 1, 15 oz can French lentils or small brown lentils, drained and rinsed
1/2 vegetable bouillon cube (use only if cooking lentils from scratch)
1 tbsp avocado oil
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp smoked paprika

Roasted Vegetables

1, 400g honeynut squash
1 lb cabbage, thinly sliced (I used a mix of green and red cabbage)
2 tbsp avocado oil
2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp garlic powder
1/3 cup cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

Chipotle Dressing

2 tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, peeled and lightly crushed
1 tbsp pepitas
2-3 chipotle peppers from a can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
Zest of 1/2 a navel orange
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp maple syrup

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Instructions

If using dry lentils, place in a saucepan with a bouillon cube and 2 1/2 cups water. Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for about 15-17 minutes or until the lentils are tender and cooked through. Drain off any remaining liquid and allow to cool. If using canned lentils, place the drained lentils on a clean kitchen towel and carefully pat dry to remove excess moisture.
Preheat the oven to 425F and line three baking trays with parchment paper. Transfer the lentils to one tray then add oil, garlic powder, coriander, paprika, and a generous pinch of salt. Toss to coat, then spread out in a single layer. Bake for 15 minutes. Give them a toss, spreading them back out in an even layer then roast for an additional 5-8 minutes until crispy. Let cool completely.
Peel the squash, remove the ends, cut in half lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds. Slice into thin half-moons, then add the squash to the second tray. Sprinkle with 1 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp coriander, and a pinch of salt. Drizzle with 1 tbsp of oil then toss to coat. Spread the squash out into a single layer. Roast for 15 minutes, flip then roast for an extra 5 minutes, or until tender and golden around the edges.
To the third tray, add the cabbage, 1 tsp paprika, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp coriander, and a generous pinch of salt. Drizzle with 1 tbsp oil then toss to coat. Spread out in a single layer on the tray then roast for 22-25 minutes, tossing half way, until the edges are lightly charred.
While everything roasts, make the dressing. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic cloves and pepitas with a pinch of salt. Stir occasionally until golden and fragrant, about 2-3 minutes.
Transfer the oil, garlic, and pepitas to a blender cup along with the chipotle peppers, orange zest, vinegar, maple syrup, 2 tbsp ice cold water, and 1/4 tsp salt. Blend until smooth.
To assemble, add the cilantro to the tray of roasted cabbage then top with the roasted squash. Drizzle with 1/3 of the dressing, then toss everything together to combine. Divide the dressed veggies between serving bowls, drizzle with more dressing as desired, then top with a portion of the roasted lentils. Serve with rice or toasted bread and enjoy!

Notes

Give your veggies space on the pan. Your goal should be to avoid a lot of your veggies from overlapping too much. When veggies roast on top of each other, they end up steaming instead of searing. When the veggies have contact to the hot surface of the pan, they are more likely to caramelize and brown which improves their texture and taste.

Tips for saving time. Instead of making the lentils yourself, you can always use canned small lentils like the ones from Rienzi. I also find using pre-shredded cabbage is great to have on hand the days you don’t feel like shredding it yourself.

Control the spice. You can adjust the amount of chipotle peppers you use. For less spicy use either just the adobo sauce or just use 1 pepper in the dressing versus the 2-3 originally recommended.