This salad for dinner recipe checks all of the boxes for being nourishing, flavorful, and filling. Grab a bowl and throw in some salad greens, rice, lentils, and edamame. And then top of this salad for dinner recipe with a gorgeous yellow dressing. It’s almost too good to be true, isn’t it?
DIFFICULTY / TIME
Easy / 45 minutes
POSTED ON
January 13, 2021
SOCIAL
What to eat for dinner? This can be such a common question we ask ourselves. Am I right? Oftentimes after a long day we want something wholesome and nourishing that will warm our bodies and souls. And sometimes when we think of salads we can feel uninspired. A lot of salad recipes out there can be lacking in flavor and satisfaction.
Yet this salad for dinner recipe is a brilliant option! It is filling on its own, so you don’t need to worry about making a side dish. You can make this salad for dinner on a Sunday and enjoy it throughout the week as the veggies reheat well.
WHAT MAKES THIS SALAD SO GOOD
This salad for dinner recipe is special because it has flavorful and filling components. I mean how many boring salads have you tried before. Too many? We don’t need another sad salad. Am I right?
This salad recipe includes:
Rice but not just any rice. This salad’s rice is flavored with veggie broth and seasonings. It simply goes straight into the rice cooker along with the usual water. If you don’t have a rice cooker, you can cook your rice in a pot of boiling water.
Brown lentils are filled with protein, inexpensive, and a great staple to have in your pantry. There are a rainbow of lentils out there ranging in oranges, reds, yellows, blacks, and browns. Orange or red lentils cook too fast and will become mushy which makes them great for soups. For this recipe, we will use brown lentils as they hold their shape well. These are usually the most common to find in grocery stores.
Edamame is a fun veggie to add. It adds a punch of flavor and pairs well with our carrot sesame salad dressing.
Fun salad dressing makes this salad bowl pop and feels inspiring and good to eat. The salad dressing gets its gorgeous color from carrots. And the sesame oil and rice vinegar give it a sweet and rich flavor profile.
HOW TO MAKE THIS SALAD FOR DINNER RECIPE
Preheat the oven to 220 C / 425 F.
Cut pumpkin or butternut squash in half lengthwise using a sharp knife. Scoop and scrape out the seeds and strings using a sharp spoon.
Brush the pumpkin flesh with oil and place the flesh down on a baking sheet. Pierce a few times with a fork or knife to let steam escape. Bake for 40 minutes or until tender when pierced.
In a rice cooker, add all the ingredients for the rice.
Bring a pot of 1 1/2 cup water to a boil. Then, add in the brown lentils and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 20-25 minutes. Drain the water and set aside.
Cook the edamame in a bowl of boiling water for 3-5 minutes. Drain the water. Set aside.
In a blender, add all the ingredients for the dressing and blend until smooth. Set aside.
For serving this salad for dinner, add to a bowl salad greens, rice, pumpkin, lentils, edamame, purple cabbage, and top with spoonfuls of the vibrant salad dressing.
To make this recipe even easier, you can omit the pumpkin and this salad for dinner recipe still tastes delicious. This recipe tastes is great to share with friends and family as it’s color and ingredients make it a pleasant surprise.
More Easy Salad Ideas
If you like this salad for dinner recipe, you’ll love my easy quinoa salad recipe. It’s filling and bursting with color.
Salad for Dinner Recipe
GUIDE
INGREDIENTS
Ingredients
Bowl
- 1/2 pumpkin or butternut squash cubed and roasted
- 1/2 cup brown lentils (will make 1 cup) - use brown as orange will become mushy
- 1/3 cup edamame cooked
- Salad greens
- 1/4 cup raisins (optional)
Rice
- 1 cup white rice
- 1 1/2 cup vegetable broth (or any broth you have on hand)
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 2 cloves garlic pressed or minced
- 2 tablespoon onion diced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 5 cm lemongrass (use for cooking in rice cooker and then throw away)
Sauce
- 1 carrot grated
- 1 1/2 tablespoon ginger grated
- 3 tablespoon onion chopped
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 1/2 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
INSTRUCTIONS
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 220 C / 425 F.
- Cut pumpkin or butternut squash in half lengthwise using a sharp knife. Scoop and scrape out the seeds and strings using a sharp spoon.
- Brush the pumpkin flesh with oil and place the flesh down on a baking sheet. Pierce a few times with a fork or knife to let steam escape. Bake for 40 minutes or until tender when pierced.
- In a rice cooker, add all the ingredients for the rice.
- Bring a pot of 1 1/2 cup water to a boil. Then add brown lentils and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 20-25 minutes. Drain the water and set aside.
- Cook the edamame in a bowl of boiling water for 3-5 minutes. Drain the water. Set aside.
- In a blender, add all the ingredients for the dressing and blend until smooth. Set aside.
- For serving this salad for dinner, add to a bowl salad greens, rice, pumpkin, lentils, edamame, and top with spoonfuls of the vibrant salad dressing.
NOTES
Notes
NUTRITION FACTS
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Made this last night and it was so yummy! The dressing is so colorful. Will definitely become a staple in my home
Thanks for sharing Alexis! I’m glad it was a hit in your home
I make your recipes often but I don’t think I’ve ever left a review. This salad is delicious! I hadn’t ever thought of using lentils in a salad. It’s filling and the salad is so colorful.
Thanks Sam! It means a lot to me when you share. Lentils are so tasty. I also have a go to lentil soup on my website.