A year and a half ago, my brother-in-law’s Golden Retriever, Benny, was struck by a car. He was already an older dog and I was worried that he wouldn’t be able to bounce back from a broken leg and the long recovery that followed. The first few months of recovery and rehab were challenging on Benny and the immediate family. To be honest, I didn’t know if he would make it through the long winter. He had to be carried up and down the front porch stairs so he could do his business outside and there were a couple slips and falls over the winter. Every time I saw him at family gatherings, I’d feel myself well up with tears as I sat on the floor giving him rubs. On one hand, he was struggling with mobility, but on the other hand, his resolve to live out his normal life never once faltered. Benny remained happy as he always was, thumping his tail on the floor whenever we’d walk by. He never wanted to miss out on any excitement!
Now it’s been over a year and a half since Benny’s accident and it’s been amazing to witness his determination to lead a normal life. Over Easter we were at my in-laws and Benny was there as he always is, hobbling along with us outside just as happy as could be. No one was more happy to be outside in the beautiful spring weather than Benny. He wasn’t going to let a bad leg or old age hold him back from experiencing all of his favourite things. After dinner, he’d collapse on his favourite rug for the night, both exhausted and purely content. Sure, he isn’t as speedy as he was in his younger years, but this is his new normal and he doesn’t seem to be overly concerned about it. I felt ashamed of myself for ever once doubting that he would overcome this. Dogs like Benny (and animals in general) are great reminders to make the best of any situation and to find joy in life’s simple pleasures. Our society loves to put animals “below” us, but we can learn so much from them.
And while I’m on the topic of inspiring dogs, you should watch this two-legged dog video if you haven’t seen it yet. Unreal!
Roasted Potato and Asparagus Lentil Salad with Tangy Mustard-Lemon Dressing
Yield
4 servings
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Protein-packed and perfect for spring, this French green lentil salad makes a lovely side dish, main course, or spring potluck dish. Roasted potatoes and asparagus are folded into the salad along with a tangy mustard-lemon dressing. I also roasted the red onion, but I think next time I might leave the onion raw for a fresh crunch. I imagine this salad would also be fantastic with some cooked quinoa mixed in or using any seasonal vegetables you prefer. The dressing makes a lot - 2/3 cup - so I prefer to stir in half of the dressing into the salad and then serve the rest of the dressing on the side to drizzle on top. This dressing is inspired by one I came across in It's All Good.
Ingredients
FOR THE SALAD:
- 1 cup uncooked French green lentils/du Puy lentils (about 2 1/2 cups cooked)
- 3 medium yellow potatoes, diced (about 3 1/2 cups)
- 1 bunch asparagus, ends broken off and chopped
- 1/2 medium red onion, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, divided
- handful minced fresh dill, for garnish (optional)
FOR THE DRESSING (makes 2/3 cup):
- 2 tablespoons coarse seeded/old fashioned mustard (see photo in post)
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3-4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, to taste
- pinch or two fine grain sea salt or pink salt
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 425F and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Rinse lentils in a fine mesh sieve. Place lentils in a medium pot along with 3 cups of water. Bring water to a boil and then reduce heat to medium and simmer the lentils for about 18-20 minutes, or until tender. Drain off water and season lentils with salt (such as Herbamare).
- Place chopped potatoes on one baking sheet and drizzle with 1/2 tablespoon oil. Toss to coat and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper.
- Roast the potatoes for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, place the asparagus on the other baking sheet (and the red onion if you prefer to roast it too - see headnote) and drizzle with 1/2 tbsp. oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- After the potatoes have roasted for 15 minutes, flip the potatoes and return them to the oven along with the asparagus (and red onion if you are roasting that) for another 12-15 minutes. The potatoes should be golden on the bottom when ready and the asparagus will be tender. Add roasted veggies into a large bowl along with the lentils and gently toss to combine.
- Meanwhile, prepare the dressing by whisking all of the dressing ingredients together. I love a tangy dressing with a bite so I used 4 tbsp. lemon juice. If you prefer a less acidic dressing you might want to add more olive oil or you can also experiment with adding a touch of maple syrup (the sweetness will offset a bit of the bite). It's definitely a dressing you can play around with!
- Pour half of the dressing onto the veggies and lentils in the bowl and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve the salad warm with a garnish of fresh dill (optional), with the rest of the dressing served on the side.
Nutrition Information
(click to expand)
If you aren’t a fan of mustard dressings, I recommend making the Creamy Avocado-Potato Salad recipe in my cookbook (p.107) It’s received great feedback and it’s perfect for spring as well.
Have a fun weekend everyone!
This recipe is BEYOND delicious. Oh my gosh. What a flavor explosion! I wanted to lick the plate afterwards! (who am I kidding, I totally licked the plate afterwards)
Eating this now it’s really yummy. Thanks for sharing
SO GOOD! i made this for a family get together and it was a big hit with everyone. a good make ahead as well, i roasted everything in the morning and then just popped the pan back in the oven 10 minutes before we ate to crisp/warm everything up and poured the dressing on. could have eaten the entire bowl by myself, will definitely make again soon!
You’re such an inspiration to me Angela and you have been for the past two years! I just love your story and I always stop by here for inspiration and motivation throughout the week. I love how you’re so down to earth and your writing is hilarious. I’m aspiring to start a blog like yours and blog about vegan food because of you, hopefully I’ll get myself to do it someday. Can’t wait to get my hands on your cookbook! Thank you!
Hugs from Norway
Hi Sara, Thank you so much for your kind words! I keep trying to tell my hubby how funny I am, but maybe this comment will finally convince him? heh…j/k. Good luck with your blog, I’m sure it will be great!!
I love lentils and this salad turned out to be exactly what I hoped for. It’s very very very good. I’m planning on eating it with quinoa, or some sweet potatoes or on top of a green salad. I tasted it when I finished making it this afternoon. I will eat it over the next couple of days.
This is insanely delicious. Just enjoyed it for lunch and think I will have more for dinner. So fresh and good. LOVE asparagus and this is perfect all together. Thanks for a great recipe!
This salad was amazing!! Kid 1 has a second helping. Kid 2 picked at it but still mostly ate all. And the husband said “If you could make more vegan meals like that, I’d almost be tempted to give up meat all together”… Wow! We’ve been having this fight for months now!
Do you have the nutritional facts for this recipe?
My new favourite salad. I’ve made this 4 times since it was posted.
I made this tonight. “Serves four”…I had to restrain myself from eating the whole bowl! It was delicious. Thanks for this recipe, I shall make it again.
haha yes I know the feeling! ;)
I made this salad (along with your tomato cream pasta) for friends last night; it was a big hit! I added a tiny bit of chopped dill to the dressing, otherwise I followed the recipe exactly. I’m devouring left-over salad today; it’s so delicious!
Was looking for something relatively quick to make for dinner and this seemed like a good choice. Was SO GOOD! Glad I have left overs for lunch and will definitely be making again.
Had it for dinner last night and leftovers just now for breakfast. Remembered to add the raw sweet onion this time. So good!!
This was delicious! I added in about a half-head of steamed kale and used lime instead of lemon (as that’s what I had). I can’t wait to eat this the rest of the week!
The salad was delish. I used a bunch of leftover grilled asparagus. I’m thinking I will take the last of the arugula this week and serve the salad on tip for my lunch for the week. I really love these hearty salads I can make once and eat all week. I did the same with your spring primavera after I ate up all the shaved carrots. It was fab too. I think you could sub any roasted root veggie or even cauliflower for the potatoes and it would be good. Or choose an ethnic seasoning for the veggies and a corresponding dressing. I would definitely serve this to friends (especially the vegetarian ones).
Great, satisfying as a meal. Instead of roasting red onion I like to slowly pour boiling water of onions in strainer to take a hit of bit out.
Made the salad this weekend and it tasted amazing! Light enough for a hot summer evening. Recipe says 4 servings but the two of use munched it down in no time (oops)…! Maple syrup was great to counter balance the mustardy flavor. We had some lentils left so I added cauliflower and onions which worked great as well.
Delish! My husband and I devoured this up tonight. Great recipe!
This was wonderful! I love your recipes and your pictures. Every ones I have made has been delicious! This was such a hit I am making it again today.
Tried this tonight, was great! Nice and light, served it on a bed of baby greens with tomatoes and avocado. Might add a few more potatoes next time. LOVE mustard! OH, and of course, double chocolate brownies for dessert!! I love those!
Wow, just made this scrumptious salad tonight! Simple and satisfying and EASY to throw together quickly! You have a beautiful site- I’ll be trying lots more recipes!
Made this a week ago… One of my all time favorite recipes.
Just wanted you to know I LOVE this recipe! I made it at least once a week when it was first posted but then my family started to revolt; I have to be careful about timing now or just eat the whole thing myself (which is actually quite fine). Thank you for your excellent creations and taste. My kids breathe a sigh of relief when I try one of your recipes for the first time as they know it will be good (I’ve had my fair share of fails from other sources). Thank you!!
I just made this today and it was FANTASTIC! I added the raw onions (diced small) and some halved cherry tomatoes. Never tried that kind of mustard before and it is tart and wonderful. Thank you for the recipe!
I made this for dinner last night (a little confused that the store had asparagus in August, but whatev) and we LOVED it! My husband even complained that I didn’t make more since there were only enough leftovers for one lunch. Super quick to throw together too. I did leave the onions raw, as you recommended, and I think it provided just enough fresh flavor. Will definitely make again. :)
Made this tonight and OMG – so delicious – two literal thumbs up from the omni husband
This is an incredibly delicious salad! It keeps well for a couple of days too. Highly recommend!!!
I just made this, tastes amazing! Super easy too
This is amazing. Really amazing. I love lentils and they are such a versatile food, but the combination in this dish is perfect. I am going to make this for a pot luck to introduce some skeptics to the world of lentils!
Oh, I forgot. I have served/eaten it cold and hot and it’s great both ways!
Just made this and it was sooo sooo good. I used cauliflower instead of potatoes because that’s what I had on hand and red lentils instead of green for the same reason. Because I used red lentils it was a bit mushy so I ended up eating the salad in boston lettuce leaves as a wrap and it was delish! Om nom.
I’m eating this for lunch right now! So delicious. I’ve been cooking my way through a bunch of your recipes lately and they have all been great. Thank you for sharing!
I’m dying to try this dish! Will do so tomorrow night. Looks amazing :)
This recipe is fabulous!
I have been following your blog for a few years now. Thank you so much for your wonderful recipes. We found out last summer that my daughter’s eczema was related to a soy allergy. We used to just enjoy your food, and then they became lifesavers! This is one of the first foods I made her after we found out about the allergy and it is a favorite. My two year old (now 3) cleaned her plate the first time I made it. So yummy! Can’t wait for asparagus season. We put it over brown rice for dinner. Hope you have a great week. Thank you again for all your hard work.
my plan was to make the avocado asparagus potato salad for dinner tonight from your cookbook, but I realized I used the last of my avocado making the mango strawberry guacamole. I turn to Pinterest for inspiration for another asparagus potato salad, and whose recipe do I fall in love with?! Of course it is yours!! I’ve been a fan of your recipes for the last four years, and even though I’m no longer vegan, your recipes still make regular appearances in my kitchen. Keep up the great Work!
This recipe was fantastic! Thank you.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve made this salad! It’s super delish and always a crowd pleaser!
I’m wondering if you have any suggestions to replace the asparagus during the summer months when asparagus isn’t fresh anymore??
Any leads would be so helpful!
Thanks for making this amaaaaaaaazing dish!!!!
This was amazing!!! Thank you!!!
I’ve made this and enjoyed it immensely….several times. But I have developed an allergy to asparagus. Recommended substitution?
Made this last night , and tweaked the dressing a tad and it was INCREDIBLE :) Just wanted to say thanks for the great recipe :) I also made your chocolate coconut torte , and will be trying it today :)
Made this today. Thanks for the tip with maple syrup, I overlemoned it a little bit :-P So delicious!!!
Had this for dinner tonight and it was fabulous!! I didn’t have any grainy mustard, so I just used the dijon and it tasted good anyway! My mother-in-law liked it too! Thanks for a yummy dinner!
I’m glad to hear the dijon worked out for you, Dawn!
We made this for dinner tonight! Another hit! Super satisfying and delicious! We looooved it! Thank you so much! A great Spring dinner! ?
Thank you for this great recipe! My husband and I loved it!
I’m glad it was a hit, Stephanie! :)
Wow Angela! I just made this and it was absolutely perfect!
I added a bit of brown sugar to the dressing to cut down the acidity. From start to finish everything was perfect. I had to rate this it was so good. Will definitely go in my meal rotation!
So glad to hear you enjoyed it, Emily! Thanks for the lovely comment.
I made this last night and it was delicious! My family told me it needs to be a regular event.
I’m going to prepare this for myself too…but for breakfast. Looks like they would be the best ingredient for a perfect start in the day. Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe, it sounds doable and looks great. I’m not sure if I’m going to manage to get it as good-looking as you did though!
All the best.
I think this could make a great savoury breakfast, Anna! I hope you enjoy it. :)
the whole family loved this recipe, including my two teenage sons!!
This was such a wonderful light dinner. I absolutely loved it! I made it exactly as directed (using the author’s suggestion of adding some maple syrup in the dressing). Yummy!!