Brown Butter Lentil and Sweet Potato Salad

Topped the salad with feta and micro greens

The secret is out on the brown butter lentil and sweet potato salad. There is no big surprise, really. it has everything to do with the brown butter vinaigrette. The nutty flavor of the burnt butter is so prominent, even an ordinary lentil salad gets an instant upgrade. Besides the sweet potato, any root vegetables like the butternut squash, beets or carrots are excellent choices. Roasting them brings out the sweetness of the vegetables.

There are three distinct tasks involved in making the salad. Starting with cooking the lentils, next is roasting the vegetables and finish with making the brown butter vinaigrette. None of these are difficult, the lentil and veggies need very little attention when the cooking is underway. Lentils should be cooked to a little past al dente; don’t want them to become too mushy. For the roasted vegetables, cook until golden brown.

Meanwhile, there is plenty of time on hand to make the mission-critical vinaigrette. To make the brown butter: Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat for about 8 minutes, swirling from time to time until it begins to foam. Then it turns light brown, and smells nutty and caramelized. Importantly, watch the color and trust your nose as the brown butter develops. Set it aside. The flavor of brown butter is further enhanced with sage leaves, red wine vinegar, maple syrup and olive oil. Viola, what you get is one-of-the-kind sage brown butter vinaigrette.

The moment I finish, I want to repeat and make more of this nutty and flavorful brown butter vinaigrette.

Print Recipe

Brown Butter Lentil and Sweet Potato Salad

Ingredients

FOR THE SALAD
1 pound sweet potatoes, butternut squash or carrots, peeled and cut into ¾-inch pieces (about 4 cups)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 cup French green lentils or black lentils, rinsed
½ cup chopped fresh parsley leaves and tender stems
½ cup crumbled goat cheese (optional)
FOR THE BROWN BUTTER VINAIGRETTE
1 tablespoon minced fresh sage leaves
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon maple syrup
Kosher salt and black pepper

Instructions

Heat the oven to 375 degrees and set a rack in the center.

ROAST THE VEGGIES: Prepare the sweet potatoes: On a baking sheet, toss the sweet potatoes with the olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Spread into an even layer and roast, stirring occasionally, until golden and tender, 15 to 25 minutes.

COOK THE LENTILS: While the sweet potatoes cook, prepare the lentils: Add the lentils to a medium pot and cover with about 6 cups water. Salt the water generously and bring the mixture to a boil. Turn the heat down to a simmer and cook the lentils until just tender, 15 to 25 minutes. Drain the lentils then return them to the pot. Cover to keep warm.

MAKE THE BROWN BUTTER: Add the sage to a small bowl. Melt the butter in a small skillet set over medium heat. (Use a pan with a light interior so you can easily see the milk solids change color.) Cook the butter a few minutes, stirring occasionally and scraping the milk solids off the bottom and sides of the pan as needed, until the milk solids turn golden brown and smell toasty.

MAKE THE VINAIGRETTE: Pour the hot browned butter and all of the toasty bits over the sage; it will crackle and foam a bit. Let the mixture sit for 1 minute to let the foam subside, then whisk in the olive oil, followed by the red wine vinegar and maple syrup. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

PLATE: Add the cooked sweet potatoes to the pot with the warm lentils. Pour the dressing over the top and stir gently to combine. Add the parsley, season with more salt and pepper, if desired, and toss to combine.

SERVE: Transfer the mixture to a serving dish and sprinkle with goat cheese, if using. Serve warm.