Hi, friends! I’m so excited to talk to you again!!
I was on vacation with my family last week in the wonderful Outer Banks, so I used it as an opportunity to step away from my computer, phone, and all-things electronic.
And man, oh man…it was GLORIOUS.
You guys know I just adore this little corner of the internet where we can gush about how much we love peanut butter, how I’m a total cookie monster, and how I could eat oatmeal morning, noon, & night.
However.
Recently, I’ve been feeling completely and totally burnt the heck out. It’s not that I don’t love Fooduzzi, food blogging, or you anymore. Because, with the exception of a few people and a cat, those three things are the most important things in my entire life. But recently, I haven’t had the energy, the time, or the desire that I once had when it came to my blog.
After Mark pointed out that I haven’t taken a single break from blogging in the year and a half since I started Fooduzzi, I decided that I needed a week of completely vegging out, eating #allthethings, and spending time with family.
But I’m back, baby! And with a summer salad that I just can’t.stop.thinking.about.
Let’s talk about this salad. It’s so simple and totally customizable to meet your needs. I like to think of this salad as a “clean out your fridge” kind of meal. Don’t have zucchini but have a mountain of broccoli you need to use up? How about radishes instead of green onions? This is the perfect place to mix and match to create your perfect salad.
For me? It ain’t summer without using corn and zucchini as much as possible. I’m absolutely obsessed with caramelizing corn on the stove at the moment, so I of course used it here. After creating some carrot ribbons with a vegetable peeler, chopping up some tomatoes and green onions, and cooking up some lentils, I was well on my way to a delicious and filling meal.
And the dressing. Oh, the dressing! I’ve had such a soft-spot for honey mustard dressing since I was wee. If it was available, I’d dip everything and anything into it. It’s one of the reasons why I love this Roasted Broccoli Quinoa Salad so much. So because it works so gosh-darn well on that salad, I decided to try it in a more…summery application. It pairs so well with the sweet corn and carrots, and the mustard really stands up to the lentils. Obsessed is an understatement when it comes to this dressing!
By now I’m assuming you know that I’m a serious sweet breakfast person. Savory foods can be saved for lunch and dinner, but first thing in the morning, I love me a little somethin’-somethin’ sweet.
But the day after I made this vegetable lentil salad, I became a savory breakfast person. I just could not get enough. That dressing, those fresh summer veggies, those filling lentils will do that to ya.
I hope you give this simple 20-minute salad a try, friends!
PrintHoney Mustard Lentil Vegetable Salad
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 20 mins
- Yield: 3-4 servings
Ingredients
- FOR THE HONEY MUSTARD DRESSING:
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1–2 Tbsp. dijon mustard*
- 2–3 Tbsp. honey (or maple syrup for vegans)**
- juice of ½ lemon
- 1 small garlic clove, minced or grated
- salt + pepper
- FOR THE SALAD:
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 medium zucchini sliced into 1/2” half circles
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1 cup uncooked green lentils, rinsed, picked, and cooked according to package directions (best if drained completely and still hot)
- 2 small carrots, peeled into ribbons
- 1/2 cup mini heirloom tomatoes, sliced in half
- 2–3 green onions, sliced thin to garnish
- salt + pepper
Instructions
- For the dressing: Combine olive oil, dijon, honey/maple syrup, lemon, and garlic in a small bowl or cup and stir to combine. The dressing will be thick. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
- For the salad: Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add zucchini and season with salt and pepper. Sauté until it starts to get tender (3-5 minutes), and then add corn. Sauté until the zucchini and corn are caramelized and browned (5-7 minutes).
- Add cooked lentils to a large bowl. Add sautéed zucchini and corn, carrot ribbons, and tomatoes. Pour half of the dressing over top, seasoning with salt and pepper if needed. Sprinkle with green onions and serve with extra dressing on the side.
Notes
*I used 2 Tbsp. because I love the tanginess that the dijon brings this salad. Mark thought it was a little strong. If you’re especially sensitive to mustardy flavors, start with 1 Tbsp., taste, and increase if necessary.
**Just like the mustard, start out with 2 Tbsp. honey, and then taste and increase if desired!
Dressing taken from my Roasted Broccoli Quinoa Salad, which was slightly adapted from one of my all-time favorite blogs, Cookie & Kate!
So glad you took a blogging break, it’s definitely necessary every now and then! I’m also glad you made this salad because I LOVE anything honey mustard and vegetables. Such a beautiful and colorful bowl! :)
I totally agree, Marina! I’m feeling refreshed and rejuvenated :)
First of all, THIS SALAD!! Just yes. So much yes. I have a chipotle lemongrass infused maple syrup that must have been made for this salad.
I checked your blog a few times throughout the week thinking I must have missed a post somehow, but the other day when I saw I hadn’t I thought “good for her, taking a break!” – I feel like it takes a lot to step back and take a break, but is usually such a good idea. Hope you’re feeling more inspired now lovely!
Um…that maple syrup sounds AMAZING. Mind sending some to PA?
It means a lot that you checked up on me, Leah! It definitely stressed me out to not update Fooduzzi for a week, but I’m glad that I took the time to refresh :) You’re the best.
Glad to see you back, Alexa!! And that you came back with such a glorious salad!! I am on a huge zucchini kick so obviously I am drooling all over my keyboard with all those caramelized zucchini bits.
Thank you so much, Rebecca! Caramelized vegetables are THE best. :)
Ooh I love recipes that use up all the odds and ends in the fridge. I definitely know how you feel with losing enthusiasm for the blog. I’m glad you are back though!
The best kinds of meals, right?! Thanks for the sweet words – I’m glad I’m back too!
I can totally relate to feeling burned out! I think I’ve been putting way to much pressure on myself about blogging and recipe testing that the pure joy of cooking and baking was lost. Sometimes, you’ve just gotta take time to let yourself be creative and play around so you can spark your passion and come back ready to rock. Okay, now about this salad: oh my gosh, this looks so fresh and flavorful!!! Is it weird that I’m actually a little excited to go back to school now just so I can pack this for lunch ;) ? I need to pin this for meal prep!
xxMeah
YES. I’m definitely guilty of putting too much pressure on myself, too. Sometimes you just have to take a step back and, like you said, play, relax, and chill. ;)
This would be a great lunch for school – great idea! Take it from someone who knows – it’s quite delicious straight from the fridge!
Blogging breaks are TOTALLY necessary! So glad you enjoyed your vacation device-free! This salad looks so fresh and fabulous— and definitely a great way to clean out the fridge :) Can’t wait to try!
Thanks so much, Liz! It was definitely a good break :) Let me know if you try this out – this honey mustard dressing is TO DIE FOR.
Yum, this looks great Alex! lentils are so versatile, I love the salad versions!!
Thank you so much! I’m a huge fan of lentil salads, too!
This sounds super delicious and I’m glad you got a break/vacation! I will be doing the same thing at the end of July and I can’t wait! Social media and blogging is a lot more exhausting than people think!
Oh that’s awesome, Molly!! Enjoy your break :) I totally agree – it takes a lot of work to blog!
i never thought of “caramelizing” corn!! i’m ALLL about zucchini in the summer, but corn has to be something steller if i’m going to eat it, and i like the sound of that!
and i agree with ya on the blogging thing. i tried to focus a lot on mine this summer, recipe testing and re shooting, so that i’d have content while on vacation, but now that i’m in italy, the last thing i wanted to do was edit hundreds of pictures. i took a few weeks off and now feel ready to get to it!
Oh caramelizing corn is THE BEST EVER. Seriously the #1 thing I look forward to most in the summertime! :)
ENJOY your time in Italy!! I’m so excited to hear all about it. My time there was certainly eye-opening and I learned SO much. <3
I cannot wait to try this recipe! How does it do as a “meal prep” food? I am thinking of preparing this at the beginning of the week and eating it for my lunches through the week. Or if it’s best eaten fresh, i’ll just have to eat it all in one sitting ;)
Hey, Jess! Yep, I think it’s a perfect meal prep food! It’s great cold straight from the fridge, but if you were going to heat it up, I’d suggest undercooking the lentils just a tad so they won’t get mushy when they’re reheated. Enjoy! Let me know how it goes :)
Do you think this recipe is best eaten warm or cold? From the recipe it appears that it would be warmed through considering the lentils and vegetables would still be warm, but I’m not sure!
Ok.. my family & I watched “What the HEALTH” on Netflix this morning & we were left almost speechless after having seen it. It really paints a picture about the beef/poultry/egg/dairy industries… WOW! Anyway, we were always under the impression that we were eating well, not eating any processed meats/foods. We did however keep “real” meat in our menus, always thinking that this was the only way to get healthy proteins. After seeing that video, we’ve decided that VEGAN is the only option for us now… We had your honey-mustard lentil veggies salad for dinner & it was wonderful.. & filling. Even my Lebanese meat-eating husband thanx you! Looking forward to trying more recipes.
I have yet to watch “What the Health,” but I feel like I’ll be watching it very soon. So so glad you liked this recipe, Jewel! And that it made your vegan transition a little easier :)
I made this dish because it is summer and I didn’t want a hot meal for dinner. What a Delishious dish! I took some whole wheat pitas and smeared them with some hummus and topped them off with gobs of this salad. Yum!!
I just made it each morning for 3 days. We will be eating a lot of this this summer. Thank you for this easy tasty recipe.
YES! So happy you liked it :)
This salad is delicious on it’s own…but I took out the seeds and ribs of a jalapeño pepper, chopped finely, added great flavor. Thanks for the recipe.
Yum! Love that!
My husbie and I summarized this a bit more – grilled most of the veggies then used arugula and spinach as the base. Piled on the veggies and some dressing – it was delicious! Thanks for the recipe!!
Denise
Yum! So glad you enjoyed :)