Roasted Broccoli and Feta Salad

This roasted broccoli and feta salad has lentils and a crunchy almond-lemon dressing for a flavour and nutrient packed salad. This is also one of those salads that get better over time. As the flavour has time to meld together it just improves, which makes it perfect for meal prepping too.

The roasted broccoli is tossed in oil and za’atar which adds a delicious complexity to the dish. And the crunchy almond oil dressing made with whole cumin and fennel seeds are the perfect addition. I love adding habanada peppers, which look like habanero peppers, without any of the heat. They have such a unique, sweet flavour and since I recently discovered them at the farmers market a few weeks ago, I’ve been obsessed with them. If you can’t find them, feel free to sub with another mild pepper (shishito peppers are great) or a spicier one if you’d prefer.

Ingredients

Here’s everything you’ll need to make this lentil and feta salad with broccoli.

• dry French green lentils
• broccoli
• extra virgin olive oil
• kosher salt
• za’atar seasoning (see below)
• raw almonds
• habanada peppers (not habanero)
• whole cumin seeds
• whole fennel seeds
• lemons
• preserved lemon (optional)
• feta cheese,
• fresh Italian parsley

A Note on Za’atar Spice

So what is Za’atar exactly?

It’s the name of a spice mixture that is used as a condiment. It contains herbs such as oregano, thyme and/or marjoram, sumac, toasted sesame seeds and salt. It can also contain a few other ingredients depending on the region in the Middle East.

You can find the blend at Middle Eastern grocery stores, online at Amazon, or you can make your own.

I love using it on vegetables, like in this sheet pan roasted vegetables with za’atar and halloumi and in this creamy whipped feta dip with tomatoes.

How to Make this Broccoli & Feta Salad with Lentils

Preheat the oven.

Bring a medium sized pot of salted water to a boil. Add the lentils, and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 25 to 30 minutes, until the lentils are cooked through and slightly al dente. Once finished cooking, drain excess water through a sieve and transfer to a large bowl.

While the lentils are cooking, make the broccoli. Transfer the florets to a large baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and za’atar. Spread them out (use two baking sheets if needed) and transfer to the oven. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes, flipping after 10 minutes, until browned on the edges and just fork tender. Transfer them to the bowl that the lentils will go into.

While the broccoli is cooking, heat a large skillet over medium-low heat, pour in the remaining olive oil. Once warm, add the almonds and peppers and toast for three to four minutes, until just starting to brown. Add the cumin and fennel and let the spices bloom and toast for about one to two minutes, stirring often. Remove from the heat and drain the nuts from the oil using a sieve over a bowl, leaving the oil in the bowl. Transfer the nuts mixture to a paper towel lined plate and season with a good pinch of salt.

To the bowl with the hot oil, add the lemon juice and preserved lemon (if using).

Pour about half of the oil/lemon mixture over the lentils and broccoli and add in the almond/pepper mixture. Top with feta cheese and parsley and drizzle the remaining dressing over top.

Taste and adjust with more oil/lemon and season with salt if needed. Enjoy!

Tips

• Coat the broccoli: do your best to rub the oil and za’atar spice mixture very well into the broccoli. This will ensure the most flavour.
• Chop the broccoli uniformly: the florets don’t need to be the exact same size, but try and have them somewhat the same size so they roast in the same amount of time.
• Adjust the dressing to taste: always taste and adjust, adding more oil and/or lemon juice to the finished salad. The almonds (as well as the salad over time) will soak up some of the oil, so an additional drizzle may be needed

Substitutions

• No preserved lemon: you can use lemon zest and a squeeze of lemon juice instead. If you do have preserved lemons on hand, I highly suggest using it, because it’s delicious. I make them myself and store them in the fridge until I want to use them. Once you start making it, you will find so many uses for them.
• Feta cheese: use goat cheese instead, or a plant-based feta instead.
• Habanada pepper: if you can’t find these, opt for a mild pepper instead. I think shishito peppers would be great here.
• No whole spices: although I prefer using whole spices here, you can use ground.

How to Prep Ahead

• Chop the broccoli into florets and keep stored in the fridge until ready to cook.
• Make the almond oil dressing ahead and keep stored in the fridge. It will solidify, so let it come to room temperature before mixing it into the salad.
• Cook the lentils ahead and keep them stored in a container in the fridge until ready to use. These can be prepped up to a few days in advance.

Serving and Storage

• Store: once this broccoli and feta salad is assembled, you can store it in a sealed container in the fridge for up to four days.
• Serving: this broccoli, lentil and feta salad tastes best served cool or room temperature.
• More dressing: as this cold broccoli and feta salad sits in the fridge, it will soak up some of the oil and lemon. Let it sit out for a little bit before eating and drizzle more oil and lemon as needed.

Ingredients & Products I Recommend:

Kosher salt:

I exclusively use Diamond Crystal kosher salt for all of my recipes. I prefer the texture, taste and consistency of this brand and highly recommend it for everyday cooking.

Baking Sheet:

I love using these large baking sheets with the rack that can go on top.

More Sides Recipes

• Kale Salad with Lemon Dressing & Crispy Prosciutto
• Roasted Cauliflower with Tahini & Dates
• Crispy Brussels Sprouts with Prosciutto
• Fig and Arugula Salad with Ricotta Salata
• Smashed Sage Potatoes with Sage Brown Butter
• Chorizo Warm Potato Salad
• Japanese Sweet Potato with Miso Butter
• Dill Pickle Potato Salad
• French lentil salad with kale and feta
• Roasted Harissa Carrots with Carrot Top Chimichurri

If you make this broccoli and feta salad with lentils please share with me, by tagging me on Instagram or leave a comment and/or review below. I truly love seeing and hearing form you!

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only share products and services I have personally used and love. Disclosure here.

This recipe is adapted from my recipe for french lentil salad with kale and this marinated lentil and broccoli salad from Bon Appétit.

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