Roasted Portobello Mushrooms with Lentil Sun-dried Tomato Salad
A Beautiful Combination Of Spicy, Savory and Tangy
This Roasted Portobello Mushrooms with Lentil Sun-dried Tomato Salad is so flavorful. The fresh herbs, garlic, onions and balsamic vinegar really make this main coarse robust in flavors and gives it a nice zip. This recipe only makes two servings so if there are more coming to your table to eat just double or triple the recipe. Add a side of quinoa and steamed broccoli or roasted peppers topped with vegan feta a little olive oil and olives on the side. Wow, what a meal! I am sure your guest will love this meal and you will be making it again and again. I do!
How To Clean And Cook Lentils
Not all lentils are the same. For Roasted Portobello Mushrooms with Lentil Sun-dried Tomato Salad I chose Small Brown Lentils from Palouse Brand here in Washington State. I love these because you can cook them, sprout them or grow them. For a 5 pound bag for about $20, thats a great deal.
Most lentils cook at different amounts of time. Just beware that some lentils get mushy if you cook them too long. Cook them according to the instructions on the bag they came in. If you have extra water in the pan after they are cooked then just drain the water out. Keep the cover off and the steam releasing will help illuminate the excess water.
When you cook dried lentils they have to be sorted through. Just put a little of the lentils in your hand and look for small deformed clumps of dirt or small stones. It is common to get them in a bag of lentils. After you have sorted them put them in a sieve and run clean water through them. This will help get the extra dirt off of them.
How To Make Roasted Portobello Mushrooms For Roasted Portobello Mushrooms with Lentil Sun-dried Tomato Salad
Before roasting the mushrooms for Roasted portobello Mushrooms with Lentil Sun-dried Tomato Salad you have to clean them first. You do this by rubbing off all the extra brown earth bits with a damp paper towel. Make sure to rub the mushroom gently because you can rub the top layer right off. Some people take the inside gills out of the mushrooms. This allows for more room to fill the mushrooms, but it is not necessary.
After cleaning them spray or brush olive oil all over the outside of the mushroom. I add the oil from Mama Lil’s Peppers on the inside of the mushrooms. This is good if you want a little spice added to them. That is totally optional.
These mildly spicy peppers are the perfect amount of spice. It doesn’t override the flavors of the salad.
Put the prepared portobello mushrooms in an oiled glass baking dish. Bake the mushrooms 400 degrees for 30 minutes. They should be getting a little wrinkly and loosing their integrity by then. That means they are getting soft and should be perfect.
How To Make Lentil Sun-dried Tomato Salad
After you have cooked the brown lentils, let them cool. If you add all the fillings before it cools you will wilt the herbs. So set it aside to cool or put it in the refrigerator to just get the heat out of them. You want this salad to be at room temperature to complement the hot roasted portobello mushrooms.
In a medium bowl add all the liquids and dry spices and mix together. Clean and slice the onions and chop the parsley and mince the garlic. Put these all together in a medium bowl with the sun-dried tomatoes and fresh thyme. I love lemon thyme for this recipe but that is not always available so regular thyme will also work. Mix it all together with the lentils and set aside until the mushrooms are done roasting.
When the mushrooms are done put them in individual serving plates or pile them high with the lentil salad in a platter. Make sure to pour all the salad on top. This is a pile high dish, so people can serve themselves this way and take as much as they want.
Serve this dish with a side of greens or stemmed veggies. As for a grain, quinoa and pasta are nice to add to this dish and top with olive oil, vegan feta and a side of your favorite olives and hot peppers. This is a perfect dinner party pleaser. I hope you like this recipe as much as we do. We eat these Roasted Portobello Mushrooms with Lentil Sun-dried Tomato Salad all the time. It’s so delicious! Enjoy!
Roasted Portobello Mushrooms with Lentil Sun-dried Tomato Salad
Equipment
- 1 Glass baking dish, large enough for the amount of mushrooms you will be baking.
- 1 Basting brush for putting 1oil on mushrooms
- 1 Medium mixing bowl
- 1 Large stirring spoon
- 1 Medium pot with lid to cook lentils in
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Sharp knife
- 1 Set of measuring cups
- 1 Set of measuring spoons
Ingredients
Brown Lentils
- 1 cup Brown Lentils
- 3 cups Water
Roasted Portobello Mushrooms
- 2 Large Portobello Mushrooms, 5 to 6 inches big
- 1 jar Oil From Mama Lil's Peppers, optional
- Olive Oil
Lentil Sun-dried Tomato Salad
- 2½ cups Cooked Brown Lentils
- ⅓ cup Sun-dried Tomatoes
- 3 Slices Red Onion, cut in half
- 3 cloves Fresh Garlic, medium size and minced
- 2 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
- 1 Tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
- 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 4 Tbsp Chopped Fresh Parsley
- 1 Tbsp Fresh Thyme, I use lemon thyme any will do.
- ¾ tsp Sea Salt
- ¼ tsp Ground Black Pepper
Instructions
Brown Lentils
- Sort through the lentils through your hand and look for any stones or dirt in the lentils. Wash them through a sieve and rinse them well. Cook the lentils in the water for 20 to 25 minutes or according to instructions on the bag. Well done drain out any excess water and put aside to cool. Stir now and then to help cook before adding any herbs or they will wilt. Set aside or put in the refrigerator to cool.
Roasted Portobello Mushrooms
- Heat oven to 400°
- Twist and take the stem out of the mushroom. Clean the mushroom and wipe the outside of mushroom with a damp paper towel to clean it. Then take the gils out of the inside of the mushroom. Don't dip too deep.
- Oil the tops of the mushrooms with olive oil and use a basting brush to dip in and use the Mama Lil's Pepper (Mildly Spicy) Oil. This is optional you can just use olive oil for the whole mushroom. Use Mama Lil's pepper oil to bast the inside of the mushrooms. You can be a little generous if you like spicy. I use the mildly spicy because I want to taste all the flavors of the salad that goes with it.
- After you are finished oiling the mushrooms put them in a glass baking dish with the bottoms facing upwards and put them in the oven for 30 minutes.
Lentil Sun-dried Tomato Salad
- While the Mushrooms are cooking in a medium bowl start making the dressing for the salad.
- Add all the ingredients for the salad except the lentils. (When the lentils are cool then you can add them to the salad dressing) Add the cool lentils and stir well. Set aside. Do not refrigerate. You want the salad to be room temperature.
- When the portobello mushrooms are done roasting add them to a dinner plate and add the salad mounted high above it and falling off the sides. Serve with your favorite grilled or steamed vegetables, quinoa or pasta and top with vegan feta and sides of olives and hot peppers.
- Enjoy!