This recipe came to me as a task assignment for a plant-based cooking course I’m taking (www.rouxbe.com). The assignment was: create something with a starchy vegetable and some greens. I had just harvested a bin of carrots, beets, kale, and some surprise parsnips (I had forgotten I had planted them!). So of course, they showed up in today’s dish! I had eaten this awesome lentil salad at a cute cafe in Boston that had miso, lentil, rice, beets, and greens. I had been meaning to re-create it. Today was the day, and I succeeded 🙂
The miso dressing is light and flavorful. It’s great in this salad or as an addition to rice, like in our miso rice salad or as a marinade like our tofu shish kebabs. Miso is a fermented soy product, and has been used in Asian cuisine for centuries. It’s slightly salty, which is why no added salt to the dressing is needed, and perhaps your entire dish. I use an organic white miso, which is more mild. 
Newsflash! Parsnips don’t have carrot shaped leaves! They look more like celery!
Root veggies are great for fall and winter. People used to have “root cellars” to store their veggies. They are packed with antioxidants and fiber and store very well. Ours came straight out of the garden, so they couldn’t get more fresh. The ingredients in this recipe are nutrient dense. Fiber, protein, Vitamins A, C, iron, calcium, potassium, and low in fat and calories make this an awesome main meal, and great for reducing inflammation in the body.
I roasted the veggies with very little oil. It’s a great idea to double or triple the veggies to have extras on hand for the week to throw on salads, as sides, or just to eat as a snack. We love roasted carrots and parsnips. Parsnips are a veggie that many people haven’t cooked with. They are similar to a carrot, but more fibrous. When roasted they get very sweet and earthy. They’re great on their own, in soups, or mixed with potatoes for a parsnip/potato mash. I suggest keeping the beets separate for this and adding as you are eating it. Beets have a lot of juice. They will color your salad red if mixed directly in. If you don’t care, then add them in. If you have an aversion to left over pink lentils, add as you eat 🙂 If you are making for a larger group, I’d add the beets right before serving. Below is a picture of left over Miso Lentils after the beets had been mixed in for a few days. 
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of french/brown or green lentils (we use organic)
- 2 1/2 cups of water
- 3/4 cup of small/medium diced carrots
- 1/2 cup of small/medium diced parsnip (1 parsnip)
- 1 1/2 tsp grapeseed oil
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 cup of small diced onion
- 2 cups kale, rolled and then cut into shreds/chiffonade
- 1 tbsp garlic, minced
- 6 tbsps ginger miso dressing (or 1/2 the recipe of the miso dressing)
- 1/4-1/2 tsp kosher salt to taste
- 3/4 cup small diced roasted beets* (see note)
- fresh chopped parsley to garnish
Instructions:
- To roast beets: take a bunch of beets and remove greens. Chop greens and set aside to be added to stir fries or other meals throughout the week. Slicing beets in half and place into tin foil packet. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and seal foil. Place into oven for about 1 hour at 400 degrees. When a knife can be inserted easily, remove from oven and let cool in foil. Remove from foil. Skins should peel right off. Cut into small/medium diced cubes.
- While beets are cooking, wash lentils. Place lentils into water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until water is absorbed, about 20 minutes.
- While lentils cook, cut carrots and parnsips into small to medium-size dice and toss with oil and salt. Place onto parchment and place into oven. Roast 12 minutes until golden.
- Sweat onion & garlic in a little water. Add in chopped kale, and add a pinch of salt. Add water if needed, and cook until kale just wilts.
- Mix lentils with roasted carrots, kale mixture, and dress with ginger miso dressing. Season with salt/pepper and lightly mix in beets. Top with freshly minced parsley.
- Enjoy cold or warm, on its own, over a salad, or in a burrito. Bon Appetit!
Nutritional Benefits:
- Lentils: packed with plant-based protein, potassium, and fiber; excellent for healing and repairing damaged tissues, decreasing inflammation, regulating blood sugar, digestive health, and preventing many forms of cancer
- Root Vegetables-carrots and parsnips are high in Vitamin A, a nutrient essential for eye, bone, skin, and dental health, as well as regulating heart rate and blood pressure, recipe has 161% Vitamin A needs/serving
- Kale-great source of plant-based calcium, which is absorbed 3xs more than animal-based sources of calcium, recipe meets 10% daily caclium needs, without being serving over additional greens.
- Low in fat-only 1 1/2 tsp of added fat in the entire recipe, total of 3 g/serving
- Beets-great source of iron, needed to oxygenate blood and tissues, 23% of iron needs/serving in this recipe
- Packed with potassium-927 mg, awesome for kidney and nervous system function, as well as regulating heart rate and blood pressure
- Low in calories, 276 in a large serving (as a main meal)
- 1 cup of french/brown or green lentils (we use organic)
- 2½ cups of water
- ¾ cup of small/medium diced carrots
- ½ cup of small/medium diced parsnip (1 parsnip)
- 1½ tsp grapeseed oil
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- ½ cup of small diced onion
- 2 cups kale, rolled and then cut into shreds/chiffonade
- 1 tbsp garlic, minced
- 6 tbsps ginger miso dressing
- (or ½ the recipe of the miso dressing)
- ¼-1/2 tsp kosher salt to taste
- ¾ cup small diced roasted beets* (see note)
- fresh chopped parsley to garnish
- To roast beets: take a bunch of beets and remove greens. Chop greens and set aside to be added to stir fries or other meals throughout the week. Slicing beets in half and place into tin foil packet. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and seal foil. Place into oven for about 1 hour at 400 degrees. When a knife can be inserted easily, remove from oven and let cool in foil. Remove from foil. Skins should peel right off. Cut into small/medium diced cubes.
- While beets are cooking, wash lentils. Place lentils into water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until water is absorbed, about 20 minutes.
- While lentils cook, cut carrots and parnsips into small to medium-size dice and toss with oil and salt. Place onto parchment and place into oven. Roast 12 minutes until golden.
- Sweat onion & garlic in a little water. Add in chopped kale, and add a pinch of salt. Add water if needed, and cook until kale just wilts.
- Mix lentils with roasted carrots, kale mixture, and dress with
- ginger miso dressing
- Season with salt/pepper and lightly mix in beets. Top with freshly minced parsley.
- Enjoy cold or warm, on its own, over a salad, or in a burrito. Bon Appetit!
