This delicious salad of earthy puy lentils, sweet roasted beetroot and salty feta is such a fabulous combination of flavours and can be served hot, warm or fridge cold, making it very versatile. It’s great for taking to work in a box, but pretty enough to serve at a dinner party.
The recipe was inspired by one I found in a recent issue of a foodie magazine…I have adapted it to suit my tastes better and simplified it a bit. I’ve also made it work – the original recipe suggested roasting the beetroot and red onion wedges for 40 minutes…if I had done that, I would have cremated them!
The result is a simple, easy meal that would work well midweek, but is pretty enough to serve as a dinner party starter (or even a vegetarian main course) and works very well cold the next day for taking to the office and making all your colleagues jealous. It’s vegetarian and naturally gluten free too, so a good one to serve as part of a buffet or for taking to a potluck/shared meal.
Before I made this salad, I had never roasted beetroot and I was surprised how easy and delicious it was…one note of caution: if you don’t want your hands stained for the rest of the day, wear washing up gloves and don’t forget to wash your chopping board immediately or it will be stained for a long time!
Wine wise, this would go really well with a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.
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 a similar size to the onion
- Salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 250 g pack ready prepared puy lentils I used Merchant Gourmet
- 200 g rice I use a mixture of wild and basmati rice from Tesco
- 150 g feta cheese crumbled plus extra for garnish
- 2 tablespoons parsley chopped finely plus extra for garnish
Dressing
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- Salt and pepper
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180C.
- Prepare the red onions and beetroot and place in a roasting tray. Drizzle over 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle over a little salt and pepper. Roast in your preheated oven for 25 minutes or until the beetroot is soft (check by inserting a knife – it should go in easily) and the red onion is tinged with golden brown but not burnt!
- Meanwhile cook 200g rice according to packet instructions / your own preferences. Drain when ready (if necessary).
- 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 baking tray and return to the oven for 5 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 5 minutes are up, remove the roasting tray and add the dressing, crumbled feta and chopped parsley and stir everything together.
- Serve the warm salad on a bed of rice. Crumble over some more feta and sprinkle over some more parsley. Serve with a zingy Sauvignon Blanc.
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