Citrus Moroccan Carrot Lentil Salad

Okay so this is one of the recipes that has come out of myself wanting to be more adventurous with the meals I make for myself for lunch. Since we are eating at home more than before I wanted to venture out of my normal cooking and start cooking with other flavors or use them in a way I wouldn’t have thought of.

This recipe is one that has come from that challenge that ended up being really tasty! This will probably be a really good recipe to keep in mind in the winter since citrus fruits are at their peak.

If you are someone that likes to mix flavors this you will like this sweet/savory/citrus-y “salad”. And side note – I might just start roasting my carrots with these spices on the regular. I was never much of a carrot person when I was little. Something kids are suppose to love right? Not me. I did not like sweet vegetables – carrots and peas – you can forget about it. Slowly I’ve come to love them both, and for carrots especially roasting them. Well almost any vegetable, roasting I feel brings out all the flavors.

With this salad you have a serving of fruit with the oranges, vegetable with the carrots, and your protein with the toasted almonds and lentils. 1 cup of lentils = 18g of protein! And I don’t think I need to mention the amount of fiber, but trust me there’s plenty in this recipe.

I hope you enjoy venturing out to try this if this looks like something out of the ordinary!

• Servings: 4 lunch servings
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Ingredients

• 1 c green lentils, dry
• 2 c vegetable broth
• 1 lb carrots cut on bias
• 4 Tbsp olive oil, divided
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1-2 Tbsp fresh dill
• 1 orange, peeled and chopped
• 1/4 cup toasted almond slivers

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Add green lentils and broth to a pan and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until the liquid is almost completely absorbed.
3. Meanwhile, toss your cut carrots pieces in a large bag with 2 Tablespoons olive oil, cinnamon, paprika, cumin, garlic powder, and onion powder. You can also add a sprinkle of salt and pepper if you desire. Toss to coat.
4. Add carrots to a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 30 minutes, moving them around about 15 minutes in.
5. Once lentils are done cooking, drain any excess liquid and add to a large mixing bowl or dish to cool.
6. Cook the chopped onion on a small skillet and wait until the onion is translucent and starts to brown slightly. (6-8 minutes) Once cooked, add them to the mixing bowl.
7. Clean out small skillet and add 1/4 cup slivered almonds and cook on low constantly stirring so they don’t burn and toast the almonds. 3-4 minutes. Add to the lentil/onion mixture.
8. Whisk together in small bowl the other 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the 1/4 cup lemon juice. Chop up the orange and get the fresh dill chopped.
9. Once the carrots are done, toss them with the lentils, onion, and almond mixture. Wait for them to cool, about 10 minutes. Add in the dressing, dill, and orange pieces. Mix together. Add salt if needed.
10. Eat immediately, or after cooled in the fridge. Enjoy!

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