Vegan Lentil Roasted Pepper Salad

Equipment

• ✓ Roasting tray
• ✓ Mixing bowls
• ✓ Colander

Ingredients

• 450 g cooked green lentils, drained
• 3 red peppers
• 100 g rocket or baby spinach
• 80 g red onion, thinly sliced
• 25 g flat-leaf parsley
• 35 ml extra virgin olive oil
• 30 ml lemon juice
• 15 ml red wine vinegar
• 8 g ground cumin
• 10 g Dijon mustard
• 8 g fine salt
• 3 g black pepper

Easy Step-by-Step Method

Complete one numbered step before moving to the next. Keep the heat and timing exactly as written.

Chef Notes & Tips

Do not rinse cooked lentils under cold water; seasoning them slightly warm gives a more integrated flavour. The lentils are already cooked before assembly.

Ingredient choices: Use cooked green lentils that retain their shape and drain them well. Roast and peel peppers as directed, collecting but controlling their juices. Ground cumin should be added deliberately because it can dominate a cold salad.

Cooking control: Prepare peppers first and let excess steam escape before peeling. Combine drained lentils with dressing, then fold in pepper strips. Add delicate leaves near serving so they do not collapse under warm ingredients.

If something goes wrong: A wet bowl usually contains undrained lentils or too much pepper juice. If the cumin tastes dusty, reduce it in the next dressing trial rather than adding more acid. Broken lentils indicate rough handling or overcooking.

Ingredient Substitutions

• ↔ Green lentils → brown lentils that remain firm
• ↔ Fresh roasted peppers → well-drained jarred roasted peppers
• ↔ Rocket → baby spinach

Food Safety & Doneness

Wash produce and use clean utensils. Keep perishable ingredients refrigerated. Refrigerate cooked food in shallow containers within 2 hours, or within 1 hour when the surroundings exceed 32°C.

Serving & Plating

Serve with the peppers distributed through the lentils and some leaves visible on top. Keep extra dressing separate for stored portions.

Storage

Keep prepared components covered at 4°C or below. Use within 2 days, or sooner if a package use-by date requires it. Store dressing separately where possible; do not leave perishable salad at room temperature for more than 2 hours.