This thin and fragrant weeknight root vegetable dal from The First Mess Cookbook unites comfort and simplicity in one ultra-cozy, one-pot vegan meal.
When I think of Laura Wright, the first word that comes to mind is "cool".
Not "cool" in the too-cool, standoffish sense. Quite the opposite, in fact. Cool in the chill, kind-vibin', creatively attuned, confident, well-rooted, and awesome kind of way.
Laura's recipes have this sort of inspired vitality that emanates from them. It's as if the creative state she wrote a recipe within becomes transposed upon the maker's experience. Does this make sense? Probably sounds crazy, but I can't think of a better way to explain it.
Take this recipe for example. As I drizzled the final touch of spice oil over the simmering golden dal, I could feel the spirit that Laura infused into the creation of it. When I tasted the first of many delicious bites, I sensed it yet again.
Writing a recipe that translates well into other kitchens is a feat; creating a recipe that moves the next maker's heart is a gift.
Laura has this gift, and it radiates from each and every page in her debut cookbook, The First Mess.
Cover photography by Laura Wright
This is one of the most beautiful cookbooks I've ever held in my hands. It's brimming with whole food, plant-based recipes and packed with full-page photos (nearly one for every dish).
Much like her brilliant blog, Laura's cookbook is home to undeniably stunning photos. Her photography is vibrantly moody. This paradoxical style seems almost impossible to pull off, yet she does so effortlessly.
Photo by Laura Wright
Beyond its coffee-table appeal, this cookbook is packed with approachable, innovative, and nourishing recipes. Other than marking the recipes I was deciding between for this post, I gave up on dog-earing pages because there are simply too many I'm itching to try.
Here are a few at the tippy-top of my list:
Savory Ginger Green Onion Crepes
Leaf and Stem Green Tortilla Soup
Creamy Jalapeño Corn Chowder
Pepperoncini Lentil Crunch Salad (with pepperoncini dressing—say what?!)
Caramelized Onion Potato Salad
Broccoli Caesar with Smoky Tempeh Bits
Warm Balsamic Mushroom Salad with Pine Nut Parmesan
Tandoori-Rubbed Portobellos with Cool Cilantro Sauce
BBQ Mushroom Toast
Crispy Avocado Tacos
Garlicky Winter Vegetable and White Bean Mash with Mushroom Miso Gravy
Salted Date Caramel Shake
Coconut Cream Tart
Fudgy Nut and Seed Butter Brownies
Yeah, that's the "short list".
And if you decide to follow my lead, be sure to also add this one to your short list:
Weeknight Root Vegetable Dal.
Oh. Em. Gee.
I love a good lentil dal and am not easily impressed, but this is the best I've ever tasted. It uses a simple throw-it-all-in-the-pot-and-simmer method that I was initially skeptical of, but my goodness did this impress.
The dal relies on simple ingredients with your choice of root veggie (I opted for carrots, but beets, celery root, etc. are up for grabs, too). Simply toss all of the ingredients into a pot, bring everything to a boil, and then simmer for 40 minutes, giving it plenty of stirring love near the end.
It's finished with a handful of fresh cilantro and the most delightful spice oil made from virgin coconut oil, mustard seeds, coriander seeds, and cumin seeds.
I love how special this dish looks, feels, and tastes. Add to that the fact that it comes together without a fuss, and there's no denying that this one is a keeper.
I hope you give this recipe a go—you'll be so happy you did!
For more recipes like this one, be sure to pickup a copy of The First Mess cookbook or scroll down and enter for a chance to win a copy (details below)!
Weeknight Root Vegetable Dal
Ingredients
- 1 cup (250 mL) red split lentils, rinsed
- 1 cup (250 mL) finely diced root vegetables of your choice, such as carrots, celery root, and beets
- 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
- 1 cup (250 mL) cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2-inch (5 mL) piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
- 1 teaspoon (5 mL) ground turmeric
- Pinch of dried chili flakes
- 3½ cups (875 mL) filtered water
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons (30 mL) virgin coconut oil
- ½ teaspoon (2 mL) cumin seeds
- ½ teaspoon (2 mL) coriander seeds
- ½ teaspoon (2 mL) mustard seeds
- ⅓ cup (75 mL) chopped fresh cilantro leaves (for garnish)
- Lemon wedges (for serving)
Instructions
- To a medium soup pot, add the rinsed lentils, diced root vegetables, diced onion, tomatoes, garlic, ginger, turmeric, and chili flakes. Pour the water into the pot and give everything a little stir.
- Place the pot on the stove over medium heat. Bring to a boil and then simmer for about 40 minutes, whisking the dal often. Toward the end, the lentils should be completely broken down. In the last 10 minutes of cooking, whisk the dal vigorously to encourage the breaking down of the lentils. It should appear quite soupy. Season the dal generously with salt and pepper. Keep warm.
- Heat the coconut oil in a small sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, and mustard seeds. Once the seeds are fragrant and popping, remove from the heat.
- Gently spoon the toasted spice oil (with the whole spiceon top of the dal. You can lightly stir it in if you like. You can also portion the dal out first and then spoon the spice oil on top if you like. Garnish the dal with the chopped cilantro. Serve the dal hot with lemon wedges.
Notes
The First Mess Cookbook Giveaway
One winner will receive a copy of The First Mess cookbook by Laura Wright. For a chance to win, simply enter the giveaway using the Rafflecopter widget below and comment on this post between March 15th and March 28th. Please note: this giveaway is only open to residents of the US and Canada.
I'm a huge fan of Laura's recipes and photography. Her recipes are always sound so mouthwatering! I'd love to add this cookbook to my collection and see more of her creativity!
This dal looks so perfect for this cold snowy weather we're having!! I just adore all of Laura's recipes and stunning photography!
i love the blog and am always on the lookout for healthy, interesting vegetarian recipes
Looks amazing! There's nothing like warming spices to chase away the winter blahs.
I love Laura's blog. All of her recipes are well developed and delicious. I would LOVE to win her cookbook!
I LOVE Laura's blog and have being seeing incredible recipes from the new book everywhere and I would love love to try <3
O yes! Laura always have such beautiful recipes!
I love Laura's recipes! They are creative, wholesome, and nourishing while remaining simple and do-able. I would love to see what her cookbook has in store!
I've been doing a lot of research about sustainable, organic, and plant-based agriculture and cooking recently, and Laura's blog has been a godsend. I am so, so excited about her book and the beautiful, plant-based recipes inside it!
I love Laura's blog and Instagram and would be delighted to have a crack at the recipes in her gorgeous cookbook!
Dinner tonight!!!!
That Daal looks delicious and I would love to try those nut and seed brownies! I always love getting my hands on a new vegan cookbook and seeing the different ideas people come up with!
I love her blog so I know her cookbook must be just as amazing!
I'd love to win both for the recipes and the photography! I love using cookbooks as coffee table books because it inspires people to try easy, delicious, nutritious plant-based recipes!
Oh this looks absolutely stunning and delicious. I would LOVE to receive this book :) as everyone else im sure!
Ashley,
I've been a fan of The First Mess blog for some time, now. But even if I'd never made any of Laura's recipes before, the fact that your "short-list" is as long as my arm is all the recommendation I'd need in order to know that I've GOT to get this cookbook! Great review.
Sounds amazing! Would love to explore her other recipes.
I'm trying to overhaul my diet and need all the help I can get :) I would love to win this cookbook to help me along on my journey.
I am considering moving towards a plant-based only diet and this cookbook would be a great addition to my reading! Also, the dal looks just amazing! :)
I would love to win this cookbook! I've not seen you get quite this excited about another author so I'm really excited to read it!
I'm a graduate student in clinical psychology and I was very inspired reading about why you started your blog, BlissfulBasil. I was happy to find a kindred spirit :) and your blog is a regular 'me-time' activity these days. And now you've introduced me to First Mess! Can't wait to start reading her site as well.
As you can imagine, I'm on a very limited budget but I still prioritize plant-based eating and would love the chance to own a nice new cookbook :)
Peace!
I love plant-based cooking and am currently studying at the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Italy. I would love to share some of these recipes with my fellow classmates from all over the world!
I would love to win this cookbook because the recipes sound delicious and I need to find some new ideas for my meals.
All these recipes are so unique and delicious which would make this book perfect to add to my collection!
I love your recipes so having a whole book to experiment with would be great! Thanks so much for the chance to win.
These recipes sound amazing! As I continue to work on self care and managing a chronic health condition primarily through diet, I've found that vegan (and vegetarian) food is a HUGE help in not having symptoms.
As a solid omnivore, I would love some great recipes and ideas for more plant based cooking and eating to help me in my journey!
Oh my gosh! Because this
looks so good!
I love vegan cookbooks, and based on the reviews I've seen so far, this one looks beautiful and the recipes sound divine!
I've so ogled this book for the past month or so... and that beautiful dal is right up my alley!
Every recipe from Laura's cookbook I've seen posted online has looked absolutely wonderful. Now I can't wait to get my hands on a physical copy!
Such bold and delicious flavors! Love both her and your recipes (and photos!)!
I am a student who is obsessed with collecting vegan cookbooks from my favorite food bloggers, Laura Wright is one of them. There is alot of hype for this cookbook and I can't wait to try the recipes from it.
Tasty vegan recipes! Love this book!
Laura's recipes are among my favorites. I've been thinking about buying her new book. Having the opportunity to win a copy is wonderful. Thanks for offering the give away.
I'd love to win this cookbook because everything from it looks so good!
Cannot wait to try this dish!
This is a new one to me! Great photo and the recipe list sounds delicious! I will definitely check out her blog. Thanks for sharing!
I came across The First Mess from a weekend reading post on Full Helping and have been a subscriber since. I love that the recipes ate whole foods and regulat grocery store ingredients (mostly). I would love to have her cookbook.
Seriously, while they say that there are no stupid questions, that's a stupid question! Because why WOULDN'T I, or anyone for that matter, want a copy of Laura's book? I mean, everything about it -the recipes, the photos, the vibes- just seems equally as incredible and creative as her impossible-not-to-be-a-fan-of blog, and I've heard nothing but great things about it too. Also, what I appreciate so much about Laura's creations is that they're always different, special, not quite "ordinary", while still being very approachable and , for the most part, consisting of easy-to-get-by ingredients. It really is a win win win situation in every way, so being able to consider myself the owner of a copy of her book would make me super happy :)
I love trying new recipes. These look beautiful and delicious!
Looks delish!!! :)
I've been following The First Mess for a while now. I have never made a bad recipe from her blog, and I'm sure the book is the same! Thanks for the giveaway!
I love trying new plant based recipes and I LOVE dal :)
Thanks for the chance to win!
to echo someone else - why wouldn't I want to win a copy? all the recipes sound and look awesome!
I would love to try this authors recipes
Huge fan of the first mess! I knew I loved Laura's blog when I read where the name comes from-the "day with stars" when peas arrive!
I love the sound of this cookbook, and the look of this recipe - I would love to win myself a copy. Thank you for the opportunity!
I am learning how to cook and I find that cookbooks help me a lot with this.
I would love to win a copy of Laura Wright's cookbook for a few reasons. First, because you have made it sound like there are a lot of really great recipes in there. Second, I try to eat a mainly plant based diet and am always looking for new recipes. These sound like real winners. Third, the photography is absolutely drool-worthy and I'd love to spend some time just looking through this gorgeous book !
Thanks for the chance.
WOW! I would love to win a copy of The First Mess cookbook for our household! I have been searching for new recipes since we've decided to go more plant-based with our way of eating. The recipes sound delicious and I am a huge fan of beautiful pictures accompanying recipes! What an amazing opportunity!! The Dal looks incredible, I cannot wait to try it!
Because I absolutely love her photographies...and recipes of course :) such a créative girl.
This must be one of the most "approachable" daal recipes I've seen so far. I usually shy away fronds all recipes because of the long list of spices and ingredients I wouldn't use anywhere else. Also, I love the addition of root veggies, makes it a complete hearty meal, especially on snowy days like right now. I've been seeing Laura's book recipes pop up on certain blogs I follow, and it seems like they're all very simple and approachable. Would love to get my hands on this lovely book and share the love of vegan food with my family and friends. People always think healthy is complicated and especially vegan, but it's not the case here.
I have been looking for a good, simple dal recipe for some time now and this looks amazing! I can't wait to try it! I have a bit of a cookbook session and am a sucker for beautiful food photography. I would love to add this to my collection!
I would like this book because I've been using Laura's recipes for four years now, and I love her blog! I'm a subscriber and have tried nearly all her recipes.
Such a lovely book, everyone wants it! Thnks for sharing this beautiful recipe!
I'm always looking for new plant-based recipes!
It's been awhile since I've added to my cookbook collection and I've been considering my options. I've had my eye on this book for awhile, so it's already on my wishlist. The recipe you've posted is one I'm going to try as I love dal and one-pot meals. (I'm not comfortable rating the recipe until I've actually tried it.) Finding a really good gluten-free vegan cookbook isn't easy. So many are filled with recipes that are only slight variations of the same ingredients. This book seems refreshing. And the photos are so lovely. Thanks for the opportunity to win a copy.
I've been excited to discover both your site and The First Mess via OhSheGlows. I love how supportive the plant-based community is!
1. I LOVE Laura and 2. I also, want to make everything on your "short-short" list!
I'm looking for some kitchen inspiration!
I just discovered her blog! And I think I'll make this dahl this week, it looks so lovely! Thank you!
I would like to win a copy of this cook book because I would love to help my husband and I continue on a plant-based diet. It's so hard getting him to eat plant-based, some of these delicious recipes might help!! Thanks!
Since I'm vegan I am building up my new cookbook shelf and I'd love to add this one to it!
All those recipes sound amazing!! Definitely need to add this to my cookbook collection!! Can't wait to try the recipes from your cookbook too!!
This cookbook looks beautiful! I first saw it recommended on Minimalist Baker's insta story. I'm a big fan of your blog so I know this is a good one. All the recipes sound delicious.
I would love to have this cookbook so much! Lovely photos and recipes. And love her blog. I have so much to learn.
I'd like to win it and give it to my daughter - she's just starting out on her own.
This looks amazing! I can't wait to try this recipe and check out this cookbook!
I'm a long=time vegetarian transitioning to 100% vegan, so new recipes and ideas are a great help!
I am trying this tonight! My husband and I love to garden almost as much as we love being in the kitchen together. I would absolutely love this cookbook to complement our life! The photography looks amazing, and i know the recipes are! Thanks for sharing!
So confession: I went full on vegan last year for four months straight, and then caved. I was going through lots of life changes, and the convenience of non-vegan foods (and temptation) led me to give it up. I've decided to try it again and hopefully stick to it, because I actually feel like garbage. My body and mind are suffering again from bad eating habits! :(
This cook book seems like an amazing start to a new beginning and a lifetime of clean eating. I hope I win the giveaway, because this soup looks delicious, and I'm going to try it TONIGHT! :) And crispy avocado tacos, you've got to be kidding me! Yum!
I am always looking for healthy recipe books to add to my collection. This looks like a great one!
I am so excited to check out Laura's book and would love to add it to my collection!
I've been 4 months on this plant-based way of living and love it, I especially love warm comforting foods like chili and this Dal looks delicious. I'd love to win this cookbook to get some more great recipes.
I'd like to win a copy of The First Mess cookbook, because I love finding new plant-based recipes. These look and sound so good!
Looks delicious! I am newly plant-based and on a quest to increase my recipe repertoire (and also looking for tantalizing recipes to convince my fiance to join me!). I love your blog and your new cookbook, so I'm excited to try any other cookbook recommendations you offer!
My Instagram feed started EXPLODING about this book, and I'm really eager to add it to my collection! Thanks for offering this giveaway!
This dal looks amazing. I'm curious if the beets overwhelm the other flavors. Sometimes mine are unruly.
Unruly beets—love that because it's so true. Their earthiness can get a bit wild. Truth be told, I've made this twice and both times I used carrots because 1) I love the bright golden color and 2) I was worried the beets' earthiness might dominate the other flavors. Long story short: carrots are definitely a safe bet, and I'll let you know how it turns out if/when I give beets a go!
I love the website and I'm a cookbook aficionado! This will make a great addition to my collection.
I recently attended a seninar where the focus was on healthier food trends - and plan-based eating was #1. I'd like to try to incorporate some new ways into my diet.
I turn to The First Mess when helping my customers find creative, simple, and delicious ways to use the organic produce I grow and sell at my local farmers market. As a vegetable farmer, one can never have too many cookbooks with recipes to try and share!
That dal looks amazing!!! I was on the hunt for some simple but flavourful midweek recipes, this one will be put into the rotation for sure!
I have been a fan of Laura's work for a long time. She regularly blows my mind with her creative vegetable recipes. This dal looks perfect for powering through the last few weeks of winter!
I want to win because I like trying new recipes.
Love love love her recipes. Have been following her for a while and only just realized she's a fellow Canuck!
This recipe looks amazing, I recently came across Laura Wright's blog and would love to win a copy of her cookbook!
I'd love to win a copy of The First Mess because I have flown through Oh She Glows Everyday, and am currently working through Blissful Basil. The First Mess is next on my list, and I was thrilled to find out the she is native to my home region.