Meal: Lunch or Side Salad 
Dietary Type: Vegan     
Prep Time: 15 minutes 
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Serves: 4 

The Dish

A perfect Fall or Winter salad recipe that uses many of the iconic flavors of the season. This Lentil, Brussel Sprout and Sweet Potato Salad with Warm Cranberry Dressing is easy to make, delicious, simple, and full of nutritionally-dense ingredients. 

Brussel sprouts and sweet potatoes are tossed in the cranberry dressing before being roasted tender. Lentils are simmered in vegetable broth to further their flavor too. The dressing is quickly warmed, to deepen flavor and soften the cranberries, before being blended into a smooth vinaigrette.  

Hacking this Recipe: Every portion of this recipe can be prepped and prepared ahead of time. The dressing can be made days in advanced and drizzled over the salad before roasting and serving. The lentils can be made ahead of time. The roasted Brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes can be prepped and cooked in advance, either reheated before serving or served cold. 

Ingredients
2 cups (500 ml) vegetable broth
1/2 cup (85 g) lentils 

Warm Cranberry Dressing: 
1/2 cup (60 g) dried cranberries, divided 
2 tablespoons (30 ml) agave (or honey, if you're not vegan) 
1/4 cup (60 ml) apple cider vinegar 
1/4 cup (60 ml) extra virgin olive oil 

Main:
1 lb. (450 g) brussel sprouts, trimmed and halved 
1 lb. (450 g) sweet potatoes, peeled and medium diced 
1/2 teaspoon (2 g) salt
1/4 teaspoon (.5 g) black pepper 
2.5 oz (70 g) baby spinach 

Preparation:

• Bring broth to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Once boiling, add lentils and cook for 20-25 minutes (or according to the instructions on the package) until tender. Remove from the heat, drain any excess broth (if necessary) and set aside. 
• Preheat oven to 400°F or 200°C. 
• Combine half of the dried cranberries (1/4 cup or 30 g, reserving the remaining 1/4 cup of cranberries for topping the salad), honey, vinegar, and oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a light simmer, stirring occasionally, and continue to cook until cranberries are plump and tender, remove from the heat. 
• Transfer the dressing ingredients to a food processor and blend until smooth. 
• Place Brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes on a baking sheet, drizzle with half of the dressing and season with salt and pepper. 
• Roast veggies for 20-25 minutes, or until tender. Remove from the oven and transfer to a large bowl. 
• Add lentils, spinach, and remaining dressing to the bowl with the roasted veggies and toss to combine. 
• Sprinkle salad with reserved dried cranberries before serving. 

Vegetarian and Vegan Modifications: Already vegetarian (for vegan, do not use honey). 

Gluten Free Modifications: Naturally gluten-free, as presented, but be careful using packaged lentils, which sometimes contain traces of some grains.

As usual, we’d love to hear what you think of this recipe, so leave us a comment or post your review (with a pic!) here or on the Community page. Let us know what other kinds of Healthy Recipes you’d like to see. We’re always looking for good ideas.