An earthy salad for cooler seasons with a lot of colours and flavours. Adding acidity to this salad elevates the flavour of the beetroot and leaves such as rocket make it even more interesting. Serving with caramelised nuts would add more of a festive feel.
Serves: 4
Time to prepare: 10 mins
Time to cook: 10 mins
Dietary requirements: Dairy-free, Egg-free, Vegan, Wheat-free
Ingredients
Main ingredients
200g/7oz cooked beetroot
30g/1oz parsley
15g/½ oz chives
100g/3½ oz baby spinach
Dressing
50g/1¾ oz tahini
120ml/4 fl oz water
15g/½ oz smooth peanut butter
2 garlic cloves
4 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp of cumin
1 tbsp of balsamic vinegar
Topping
460g/16 oz cooked lentils (brown, green or puy all work well)
1 red onion
1 tbsp oil
100g/3½ oz vegan feta cheese (optional)
Salt
Instructions
Drain and rinse the cooked lentils. Leave to dry.
Chop the red onion into small pieces.
Heat the oil in the frying pan and gently sauté the onion. Then add the lentils.
Season the mixture and fry for a couple of minutes until slightly brown.
If serving cold, set aside to cool. If serving warm leave in the frying pan.
Prepare the dressing by adding all the ingredients into a food processor or use a stick blender and blend until creamy. Set aside until required.
Thinly slice the beetroot into strips and place it in a bowl.
Chop the herbs, add them to the bowl, add the dressing and mix until beetroot is well coated.
Add the leaves and one third of the lentils, gently fold until coated.
Serve immediately on a plate, place the rest of the lentils on the top and crumble vegan feta on top if using.
Chef tip:
If the salad is served warm you can exclude the leaves or serve immediately otherwise the leaves will start to wilt.
