Sweet Potato and Lentil Salad with Crispy Shallots
By America's Test KitchenPublished on July 15, 2025
Time
1¼ hours, plus 1 hour brining
Yield
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
Before You Begin
If you can't find black lentils, you can substitute two 15-ounce cans of lentils, rinsed, and skip steps 1 and 3. We like to use our own Microwave-Fried Shallots in this recipe, but you can substitute store-bought if you prefer. If using our recipe, use the reserved shallot oil instead of the vegetable oil for extra flavor.
Instructions
- Dissolve 1½ teaspoons table salt in 1 quart warm water in bowl. Add 1½ cups picked over and rinsed black lentils and let brine at room temperature for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours. Drain well.
- Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Toss sweet potatoes with 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, ½ teaspoon table salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Spread 1½ pounds peeled and chopped sweet potatoes on rimmed baking sheet and roast until well browned and tender, 20 to 25 minutes, stirring halfway through roasting. Let cool slightly, about 5 minutes.
- Bring lentils and 6 cups water to boil in medium saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer gently until lentils are just tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Drain.
- Combine 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar, 1 teaspoon mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt in large bowl and season with pepper to taste. Whisk until mixture is milky in appearance and no lumps of mayonnaise remain. Whisking constantly, slowly drizzle remaining 6 tablespoons vegetable oil into vinegar mixture until emulsified.
- Add 8 ounces stemmed and sliced lacinato kale, sweet potatoes, and lentils to dressing and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to serving platter and sprinkle with 1 cup crumbled goat cheese and ½ cup crispy shallots. Serve.
Time
1¼ hours, plus 1 hour briningYield
Serves 4 to 6Ingredients
Ingredients
Ingredients
Why This Recipe Works
Hearty, protein-rich black lentils have a slightly spicy earthiness that marries beautifully with sweet potatoes and goat cheese. We found that a quick brine in warm salted water helped to season them and soften their skins, leading to very few blowouts when cooking. Creamy chunks of roasted sweet potatoes and chewy bites of lacinato kale made for a texturally varied salad. Fried shallots made an appealingly crisp topping that imbued each bite with subtly sweet, nutty aroma. Crumbled goat cheese scattered over the salad studded the meal with milky funk and briny savoriness.
Before You Begin
If you can't find black lentils, you can substitute two 15-ounce cans of lentils, rinsed, and skip steps 1 and 3. We like to use our own Microwave-Fried Shallots in this recipe, but you can substitute store-bought if you prefer. If using our recipe, use the reserved shallot oil instead of the vegetable oil for extra flavor.
Instructions
- Dissolve 1½ teaspoons table salt in 1 quart warm water in bowl. Add 1½ cups picked over and rinsed black lentils and let brine at room temperature for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours. Drain well.
- Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Toss sweet potatoes with 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, ½ teaspoon table salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Spread 1½ pounds peeled and chopped sweet potatoes on rimmed baking sheet and roast until well browned and tender, 20 to 25 minutes, stirring halfway through roasting. Let cool slightly, about 5 minutes.
- Bring lentils and 6 cups water to boil in medium saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer gently until lentils are just tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Drain.
- Combine 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar, 1 teaspoon mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt in large bowl and season with pepper to taste. Whisk until mixture is milky in appearance and no lumps of mayonnaise remain. Whisking constantly, slowly drizzle remaining 6 tablespoons vegetable oil into vinegar mixture until emulsified.
- Add 8 ounces stemmed and sliced lacinato kale, sweet potatoes, and lentils to dressing and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to serving platter and sprinkle with 1 cup crumbled goat cheese and ½ cup crispy shallots. Serve.
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