Confidence Boosting Beetroot and Lentil Salad #nosadsalad No.4

 I have a confession to make – I used to be scared of raw beetroot and any lentil that was red.  Despite loving precooked beetroot, I was convinced if I even held a raw beetroot I’d be covered in pink juice forever. And I never really knew what to do with it. With brown or black lentils, I had a perception that they are a bit bland, or rather I didn’t know how to make them exciting! Tinned brown lentils were the gateway drug for me – starting by tossing them into salads, with a really vibrant dressing, lots of veg and flavour bombs like feta, wild garlic or pesto. No sad lentils here! Having got comfortable with tinned lentils, the natural next step was cooking my own. Similarly with beetroot, once I realised that they are delicious roasted with balsamic vinegar AND you could do this with minimal staining, I was hooked.  Wash them whole, and then just four cuts – top and tail, cut into half and then onto quarters.

I’ve given two ways of making this salad – one where you use precooked beetroot and lentils, and one where you cook these at home. Using pre-cooked beetroot and tinned lentils is just as delicious and super quick so great when you’re short on time. And just as nutritious!  But if you have the time or maybe the curiosity to try cooking these from scratch for the first time, it’s well worth the effort and builds your cooking confidence! Or go wild and cook one and use the pre-cooked version of the other to build your confidence. Cost-wise, both ways are actually quite similar.

Ingredients

Lentils

·        Option 1

100g dry brown lentils ( ½ cup ) can be brown, black,puy or green lentils

~500ml / 2 cups of water

Bay leaf - optional

·        Option 2

1 tin of brown lentils

Beetroot

·        Option 1

1 bunch of raw beetroot, usually 4-6

Oil, Salt and pepper

Balsamic vinegar ( optional)

·        Option 2

1 small packet of pre-cooked beetroot usually about 200 – 300g

Dressing

·        ½ teaspoon honey

·        ½ teaspoon mustard – any type will work

·        1 Tbs vinegar – balsamic is very nice, but red wine or apple cider work well too!

·        2 Tbs oil – I use olive oil or rapeseed

Herbs

·        1 small packet/ a good handful - Dill is my favourite here but parsley or chives are great too, or use a mix.

Cheese

·        50g - 80g - Goats cheese works really well, but feta or some big shavings of parmesan are great.

Methods

1.      If you are cooking your own beetroot start with this as it takes the most time, followed by the lentils. Choice your options below:

2.      Roasted beetroot: preheat your oven to 180c. Wash the beetroot whole, and then just 4 (careful) cuts with a small knife – top and tail, cut into half and then onto quarters. Drizzle with oil, season with salt and pepper. Roast for 45 – 50min until soft but still firm. I like to drizzle over a few teaspoons of balsamic vinegar the minute they come out of the oven and give it a good mix.  

3.      Boiled lentils: wash the lentils in a sieve and pop them in a saucepan with a lid. Add the water and bay leaf. Heat over medium heat with the lid on, once at a very gentle boil turn the heat down and continue cooking for about 15 – 20 minutes. After 15 minutes check every few minutes and stop cooking once soft. Drain in a sieve and remove the bay leaf, if using.

4.      Precooked beetroot – drain in a sieve, cut into quarters.

5.      Tinned lentils – drain in a sieve.

6.      Dressing: I like to use an old jar for this – put all the ingredients in a small jar with a tight-fitting jar, and give it all a good shake, cocktail maker style. Chop your herbs up well, and mix half the herbs into the dressing.

7.      Assemble: I like a big flat plater for this rather than a bowl: start with spreading your lentils over the plate. Drizzle over about a 1/3 of the dressing.

8.      Next layer the beetroot. Drizzle over another third of the dressing.

9.      Finally top with the cheese and the rest of the dressing. Finally, the rest of the chopped herbs.