Brown Butter Lentil and Sweet Potato Salad Recipe (2024)

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Joanna

Firstly; it's absolutely superb. Secondly: serving 4-6 is ...uh....optimistic. I'd put it more 3-4 at best. For those who don't like goat cheese, feta works quite nicely.

Jess

This dish made a perfect meatless Monday meal. You’ll definitely want to make sure the lentils still have a bite to them and the goat cheese adds a great creaminess to the dish. I added pepitas for an extra layer of texture.

sspencer

I made this tonight and thought it was very good. I'm vegan so had to modify slightly--I used good quality olive oil in place of butter and cubed avocado in place of cheese. I also tossed in some pepitas as someone else here suggested. I would definitely make it again, but I might also try it with basil instead of sage. I felt like the sage bordered on being too strong for my personal taste. But overall a great dish that went over well with me and my partner.

Elizabeth

Made for lunch. Directions were perfect. Used a Japanese sweet potatoe. Very delicious and hearty! Would add some more acid (lemon juice or pomegranate seeds) if I made it again.

KylieJ

This dish was fantastic. Just a few modifications to use what I had on hand: -cooked lentils in 2 cups water, 2.5 cups chicken stock (highly recommend for a flavor boost)-used roasted carrots instead of sweet potatoes -used crumbled feta instead of goat cheese -added olive-oil packed tuna on top for extra protein I will absolutely make this again and perhaps swap out the maple syrup for Dijon mustard in the vinaigrette (I love the briny tang!). Looking forward to the leftovers!

Julia

We added a fried egg on top and it was a delicious dinner. I added some mushrooms that needed to be used up and balsamic instead of red wine vinegar. The goat cheese added important depth to the flavors but I think feta could work too.

Victoria

Made with butternut squash, which took a bit longer to cook than specified, maybe 35 minutes. Had only dried ground sage, of which I used 1 tsp. Otherwise followed the recipe exactly. This was very good! It was just a tad sweet for my taste, so next time I might cut back just a bit on the maple syrup and/or increase the vinegar.

John

This recipe SLAPS. I made it with farro and added what I had on hand--chopped dates, apples, and some candied pecans. The goat cheese brings it all together.

PandemicBaker

Really good. Even my lentil-skeptical husband enjoyed it. I'd like to make it a more complete meal. Has anyone tried including kale or chard? Adding some tahini/yogurt or pom molasses (instead of maple syrup) at the end? Serving it with farro or wheatberries?

Karin

This was great! I highly recommend the goat cheese; it really makes it. I did this as a make-ahead for Easter. I cooked the lentils. Made the vinaigrette in a jar (Have a way to warm it up; the butter solidifies.) And roasted the potatoes and kept them separate. Warmed it all up and combined at the event. It was a little complicated, but not too bad and the results were delicious. It's also beautiful.

Julia

I made it last night for dinner and tried a bite of it cold for lunch today so I could answer your question. I found it to be okay cold, but much better warm. Maybe if you tossed in some arugula to make it more salad-like it would be better cold or room temp.

D-Lish

Such a unique lentil dish. My modifications were as follows: 1) sheep’s milk feta instead of goat cheese; 2) I simply poured the browned sage butter over the lentils and diced butternut squash and mixed; 3) each time I reheat (leftovers), I finish with a big lemon squeeze for acidity/brightness (didn’t add any vinegar) and stir in a heaping helping of fresh chopped cilantro and parsley. A-MAY-ZING!

Melissa

Use blue cheese on top instead of the goat cheese. The blue cheese is a perfect complement to the flavors in this dish.

Ann M

Someone else mentioned that they used a good olive oil instead of butter.

Lisa

This is a yummy dish that I will definitely make again. Followed the recipe exactly, only doubled it for more leftovers. The next day, I used the defrost setting on my microwave in an attempt not to remove the flavor of the red wine vinegar. (It worked! I got the lentils just slightly above room temp!) Also I recommend adding more fresh Italian parsley to keep the brightness of flavor in the dish. Feta worked very well, can highly recommend.

Rachele

Meh…I was really excited to try this dish because I love lentils, sweet potatoes, brown butter, sage, and goat cheese- and some of my favorite recipes are those with unexpected ingredient combinations, which this recipe definitely does…I was excited to try and disappointed with the outcome; both my husband and I were underwhelmed.

Laurel

Very good! Made with sweet potatoes. Next time I may use more sweet potatoes, or add in diced apples, slivered almonds, pepitas, avocado as others suggested.

Megan

I liked this! I think the key here is do not overcook the lentils and sweet potatoes, which I admittedly find challenging. You want them to have a bite, otherwise it will turn out mushy. I added a honey goat cheese on top and served with a chicken sausage. Not a difficult meal to make, however I did have three pans going at once!

additions

Add fresh tomatoeAdd extra parsley on the side

IA

Good. More roast veg.

Sydney

I made this tonight, it’s phenomenal! I roasted garlic with the sweet potatoes, would like to add a bit more next time.

CJ

Add a diced tart apple!

Lynn

Two words I never thought I could ever say: too buttery! Next time I will reduce the butter slightly and increase the olive oil slightly.

lisa

Fast. Delicious. Definitely made better with vegan goat cheese I added. Wilted some spinach in turned off pan brown butter was made in. Watch butter closely. Went from toasty to burnt very fast

Bob

Delicious. Slight changes:- season potatoes with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.- used feta- added some fried sage- added some baked prosciutto for a crisp element (yum)

SJ

So delicious - among the best recipes I’ve found from NYTimes Cooking. The only change I made is to add some wheat berries. I think I preferred the dish without the goat cheese (the vinaigrette is more evident) but it’s wonderful either way. Yossy Areli’s recipes are amazing!

Eve

This was yummy! Definitely on the sweeter side. I think next time I would use some mustard in the vinegarette and potentially sub out maple syrup for some pomegranate molasses for a bit of tartness!

Donna

Yum! Made exactly as written except I used feta cheese (and probably used more). I think the maple syrup was the magic ingredient. Full recipe, enough for dinner for two plus lunch for two.

how i cooked it

Use water and chicken stock for lentils

Julia

Who knew buttered lentils were the food of the gods? I made half a batch of this (I'm the only lentil eater), but will make a whole batch next time. I made some mods: I chopped up a small onion and some garlic and threw it in with the lentils in the instant pot. I cooked the lentils in chicken stock and water, then made the brown butter with sage, but used lemon instead of red wine vinegar. Yummmm.

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Brown Butter Lentil and Sweet Potato Salad Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Do you need to pre soak brown lentils? ›

Lentils to do not require soaking like other pulses. Rinse your lentils with fresh water before boiling to remove any dust or debris. Cook on a stovetop, using 3 cups of liquid (water, stock, etc) to 1 cup of dry lentils. Be sure to use a large enough saucepan as the lentils will double or triple in size.

How to make and eat lentils? ›

All you have to do is bring them to a boil in water (or any other liquid), then simmer them until they're tender. Strain the lentils and you're ready to eat them!

What happens if you don't pre soak lentils? ›

Don't worry about soaking lentils, split peas, or black-eyed peas (or cowpeas). Lentils and peas are softer than dried beans. They'll cook within 5 to 20 minutes without any soaking time. Nearly all traditional cookbooks tell you to soak dried beans before cooking them.

Do you rinse lentils after soaking? ›

Refilling with fresh water twice during the soaking time helps to lessen gas and bloating. Finally, drain the lentils, and rinse them with fresh cold water before the cooking process.

How do you soak brown lentils overnight? ›

Pour your lentils in a large pot and cover them with cold water. Allow to soak for at least 4 hours or overnight and up to 24 hours for best results. Then drain the water and give the lentils another quick rinse with fresh, cold water. At this point, you can proceed to cook your lentils however you desire.

Do I need to soak lentils before planting? ›

Allow it to soak for 4-6 hours at room temperature. The lentils will double in size. Don't worry about slightly over or under soaking, they will still sprout. If you would like to check that they are fully soaked, you can break one open to see if it is hydrated all the way through.

How long to soak lentils to reduce gas? ›

Aim to soak your beans or lentils for at least 4 hours, and preferably overnight. Dump the soaking water (i.e. don't use it to cook the beans). Then be sure to give your beans/lentils a good rinse before cooking to wash away those gas-producing carbohydrates. Introduce them slowly.

Do brown lentils turn to mush? ›

Regular Green or Brown Lentils

Instead of holding their shape, they soften and become mushy as they cook. I like to add the dried lentils to a big pot of soup and let it simmer until they become tender, about 30 minutes.

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