By Cooking with Ornella
Roasted Beetroot & Lentil Salad with Feta, Pomegranate & Balsamic Vinaigrette
Ingredients
Salad Ingredients
- 200 g lentils, green or puy, rinsed
- 2 medium beets, peeled, boiled and diced in ¾-inch (2 cm) cubes
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- 1 garlic, minced
- 1 large ripe tomato, cut into wedges
- 1/2 pomegranate, seeds only
- 100 g feta, cut into ½-inch (1 cm) cubes
- 2 handfuls arugula
- 2 tsp herbes de Provence
- Olive oil, salt & pepper
Vinaigrette Dressing
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp whole-grain mustard
- 1 tsp honey
- Salt & pepper
Instructions
- Roast the BeetsIf your beets are pre-boiled: Dice into ¾-inch (2 cm) cubes, toss with 1 Tbsp olive oil, the Herbes de Provence, a pinch of salt, and pepper. Spread on a sheet pan and roast 15 minutes to warm through and caramelize the edges.If raw: Wrap whole peeled beets in foil and roast 40–50 minutes until fork-tender. Cool, then dice. Let cool to room temperature.
- Cooking the LentilsHeat 1 tbsp olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add all but 1-2 tbsp of the diced onion and the minced garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook 3–4 minutes until soft and translucent. Stir in the rinsed lentils, then add 3 cups (6-7 dl) cold water (or follow package ratio). Bring to a simmer, cover partially, and cook 18–22 minutes until al dente. Drain any excess water, spread on a plate to cool 15 minutes. When cool stir in the reserved raw onion for crunch.
- Make the VinaigretteCombine all dressing ingredients in a small jar. Shake hard for 10-20 seconds until thick and emulsified. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Assemble the SaladOn each plate (or in a large bowl), start with a handful of arugula. Spoon over the cooled lentils, then scatter roasted beet cubes, tomato wedges, feta and pomegranate seeds. Drizzle generously with vinaigrette. Enjoy!
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Tips & Variations
- You can use any variety of lentils, but I prefer the green Puy lentils for this recipe as they have a more complex earthy or nutty depth to them and they hold their shape better. Plus they are really beautiful.
- If you don’t like raw onion, then cook all the onions with the lentils or add the remaining onion to lentils immediately when they are done cooking, so that they cook slightly as the lentils cool down.
- No Herbes de Provence? Use 1 tsp thyme + ½ tsp rosemary + pinch oregano or lavender instead.
- I highly recommend using vacuum-packed plain cooked beets (not in vinegar). They are still delicious and save you a lot of time.
- You can cook lentils + roast beets up to 2 days ahead. Store separately in fridge.
- Whole-grained mustard can be replaced with 1 tsp of Dijon mustard.
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