This delicious salad of earthy puy lentils, sweet roasted beetroot, salty feta and wild rice is such a fabulous combination of flavours, and can be served warm or cold, making it very versatile. It’s great for packed lunches, picnics and potlucks, but is also pretty enough to serve at a dinner party.
A quick and easy beetroot salad
This delicious Warm Lentil, Beetroot and Feta Salad with Wild Rice is so easy to make. Simply roast beetroot and red onion wedges, then add pre-cooked puy lentils. Meanwhile, cook your rice according to packet instructions. Next, arrange the rice on a simple serving platter, top with the beetroot/lentil mixture. Finally, finish with crumbled feta, finely chopped parsley and a simple balsamic dressing.
Serve warm or cold
This easy Lentil, Beetroot and Feta Salad is very versatile. It’s delicious served warm, as soon as it is made. But it is just as delicious served fridge cold, making it a great option for packed lunches, picnics and potlucks.
Delicious with white, brown or wild rice
I like to serve this Lentil, Beetroot and Feta Salad with a combination of white and wild rice. You can get this combination ready-mixed from most supermarkets. (I use Tesco Easy Cook Long Grain And Wild Rice.)
But this simple warm rice salad will work with any type of rice you prefer – white, brown or wild rice all go well with the puy lentils, roasted beetroot and feta.
Tips for roasting beetroot
If you have never roasted beetroot before, you are going to love how easy it is. (Not to mention how tasty – so much nicer than pickled beetroot in my opinion!)
Here are my top tips for roasting raw beetroot…
- Wear gloves and use a chopping board you don’t mind getting stained. (If you don’t have suitable gloves, it’s totally OK – just know your hands will be stained purple for about 24h!)
- Chop the beetroot into even sized wedges – so they cook evenly. Aim to make the wedges a similar size to the red onion wedges.
- There’s no need to peel the wedges. The skins are edible and this will save you a lot of hassle!
- Roast the beetroot wedges for 20 minutes at 200C (180C fan / gas mark 6 / 400F).
- Turn the wedges once during cooking – after about 10 minutes – to ensure they get evenly cooked and don’t burn.
- Take care handling the beetroot at all stages – the beetroot will stain purple everything it touches!
What to serve with beetroot salad?
This salad really is a complete meal in its own right. But if you want to make it more substantial, you could simply serve it with some crusty white bread and/or a green side salad.
What to drink with beetroot salad?
The earthy flavours of beetroot and puy lentils in this recipe go well with Pinot Noir – choose one from somewhere like New Zealand, Australia or California.
However, because this salad also includes sharp and tangy feta cheese, this salad also goes well with zingy Sauvignon Blancs from places like New Zealand or Chile.
Can you reheat this salad?
Technically you can (but do be super careful when reheating rice – always follow food safety guidelines.) However, I do not recommend it. Instead I recommend you refrigerate any leftovers and eat them fridge cold the next day.
Can you freeze this salad?
Technically you can (but do be super careful when freezing and defrosting rice – always follow food safety guidelines.) However, I do not recommend it. This is a recipe best made fresh on the day, or at most one day in advance.
If you like this recipe…
…you might also like:
Warm Lentil, Beetroot and Feta Salad with Wild Rice
Ingredients
Salad & Rice
- 1 red onion cut into 8 wedges
- 500 g baby beetroot cut into wedges of a similar size to the onion
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 250 g pack ready to eat puy lentils I use Merchant Gourmet
- 200 g rice I use a mixture of wild and long grain white rice from Tesco
- 150 g feta cheese crumbled, plus extra for garnish
- 2 tablespoons parsley chopped finely
Balsamic Dressing
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 200C /180C fan / gas mark 6 / 400F.
- Place the red onion and beetroot wedges in a roasting tray. Drizzle over 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle over a little salt and pepper. Turn the vegetables in the oil, then spread them out into a single layer.
- Roast in your preheated oven for 10 minutes, turn the vegetables, then roast for a further 8 minutes or until the beetroot is soft (check by inserting a knife – it should go in easily) and the red onion is just tinged with golden brown but not burnt!
- Meanwhile cook the rice according to packet instructions / your own preferences.
- When the red onions and beetroot are ready, add the puy lentils to the tray and give everything a stir. Spread out again in the roasting tray and return to the oven for 2 minutes, by which time the puy lentils should be warmed through.
- While the lentils are warming, mix together the dressing ingredients in a small jug or jam jar.
- After the 2 minutes are up, remove the roasting tray, add the dressing and stir everything together.
- Place the rice on a large serving platter. Top with the beetroot/onion/lentil mixture. Crumble over the feta cheese and, finally, scatter over the chopped parsley.
- Serve warm or cold, on it's own or with crusty bread, a green side salad and a glass of Pinot Noir or Sauvignon Blanc.
Notes
- Not suitable for freezing.
- Nutrition information is approximate and meant as a guideline only.
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Alison says
I love roasted beetroot. This looks like a wonderful salad, great ingredients
Eb Gargano says
It is totally delicious. Roasted beetroot is amazing…and goes so well with feta and puy lentils. Thanks for commenting 🙂 Eb x
Angela says
This looks lovely & delicious, can’t wait to try it! Pinned 🙂 Would love for you to share it at the Sunday Fitness & Food Link-up at: http://www.marathonsandmotivation.com
Eb Gargano says
Thanks Angela! Let me know how it goes if you do try it. Bit snowed under at the moment but will certainly link up if I get time! Eb x
Chris @thinlyspread says
Oh delicious! Some of my very favourite things in there – and my husband’s! I’m popping this on this week’s menu plan!
Eb Gargano says
Thanks, Chris! Let me know what you think 🙂 Eb x
Honest Mum says
That looks delicious! Thanks for linking up to #tastytuesdays
Eb Gargano says
Thank you, Vicki. It is pretty yummy 🙂 Eb x
Mandy says
You already know how much I love the sound of this recipe! And you’re so right about the washing up gloves. I often do the school run with pink or mud-stained hands. No idea what the other parents think of me!!! Thanks for linking up with #CookBlogShare this week
Eb Gargano says
Thanks, Mandy. Ah but it’s all worth it. Beetroot is such a lovely vegetable…I need more of it in my life. 🙂 Eb x
Corina says
It looks gorgeous! I really like beetroot but for some reason it’s one of those vegetables that always sits at the bottom of my fridge for ages before I actually eat it. Maybe I’m put off by getting myself and everything else stained!
Eb Gargano says
Thanks, Corina. I do love meals like this – they are so easy to make look good…and they taste good too! I was definitely put off in the past from dealing with beetroot, but I found it wasn’t too bad so long as I washed everything quickly! Eb x
Only Crumbs Remain / Angela says
Ooh I love the look and sound of this Eb! I was sold as soon as I saw the word ‘feta’! Mr E & I love feta so this is definitely something we would very happily try. I totally agree that 40 minutes to roast some onion and beetroot wedges sounds a long time – our oven would cremate them too for that length of time.
Angela x
Eb Gargano says
Ha ha – I am the same. I love feta so much…in fact – ooh – you’ve just reminded me I’ve got an open one in the fridge…mmmm snack time in a mo, methinks… I’ll just pop over and comment on your blog first 🙂 Eb x
Only Crumbs Remain / Angela says
I bet you had some interesting dreams last night Eb if you devoured chunks of delicious feta at such a comparatively late hour 😉 BTW, I meant to comment on noticing your new ‘Foodies 100’ badge – it’s well deserved!…Onwards and upwards – it’s the top 250 badge for us both next 🙂
Angela x
Eb Gargano says
Oh I’ve put that theory to the test many times and I’ve never noticed cheese affecting my dreams particularly! Though, having said that, last night I did mostly dream of food…! Thank you. I was so excited when I realised. Yes definitely aiming for top 250 now – race you there 😉 Eb x
Choclette says
This looks so delicious and nice combination of ingredients used. Sadly, unfussy CT has taken a dislike to beetroot. Weirdly he’s fine with the tops.
Eb Gargano says
Thank you, Choclette 🙂 Sadly my kids aren’t massive fans of beetroot either – not tried them on the tops mind, maybe I’ll give that a go! Eb x
Kate - gluten free alchemist says
That’s one of the nicest-looking warm salads I’ve seen in a long time Eb! It looks amazing and very tempting. Very inspired by this….. Beautiful combination of ingredients. Thanks for sharing x
Eb Gargano says
Thank you, Kate. They are great flavours aren’t they? I love it when you put some nice tasting ingredients together and the result is even better than the sum of its parts 🙂 And when it looks pretty too, that’s an added bonus! Thanks for commenting 🙂 Eb x
Johanna @ Green Gourmet Giraffe says
Looks like a really love salad – I love beetroot and don’t mind my hands getting red – it washes off soon enough but I do mind how long it takes to roast it – am sure you will find lots of great uses for roasted beetroot now you have started on it!
Eb Gargano says
Roast beetroot is awesome! I will definitely be doing more of that in the future 🙂 Thanks for commenting! Eb x
Jacqueline Meldrum says
Love the flavours of this salad. I would go straight to this on a menu. Just gorgeous. Thanks for submitting it to Meat Free Mondays. I’ve featured it 🙂
Eb Gargano says
Thank you for your lovely comments and thank you so much for featuring on Meat Free Mondays! Eb x