A main-course salad of roasted beets and brown lentils, balsamic vinegar, blue cheese and walnuts.
Once roasted, the beets give the plate a deep red color, the brown lentils hold their shape on the fork and the balsamic vinegar coats the still-warm vegetables. The blue cheese adds a pronounced salty note, the walnuts provide crunch and the olive oil rounds everything out. Allow about 35 minutes in total, including 30 minutes in the oven at 200 ยฐC, for a main-course salad for two, with 32 g of net carbs per serving. One to file alongside my keto soups and salads.
What is beet and lentil salad?
This salad is built on a simple pairing: sweet, juicy red beets go hand in hand with the earthier notes of brown lentils. The lentils add structure without heaviness, remaining distinct, tender but still firm. Roasting makes all the difference: beets, bunched carrots and red onion roast together in a mixture of extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar and maple-flavored sweetener, allowing the edges to brown and the juices to concentrate.
Once the vegetables have cooled slightly, they are combined with the lentils and the remaining marinade, so none of the seasoning goes to waste. At serving time, a blue cheese such as Roquefort adds creaminess, salt and depth, the walnuts bring crunch and the beet or chard leaves add a touch of green. The salad can be eaten cold, but its flavors come through better when assembled while still slightly warm.
A base of lentils and root vegetables
This salad starts with simple ingredients: a legume available year-round, seasonal root vegetables and a balsamic vinaigrette. Brown lentils hold up well in salads, the beets and carrots add color, sweetness and bite, and the red onion completes the dish, making it filling enough to serve as a meal.
Salty and creamy, the blue cheese almost seasons the dish on its own, while the walnuts provide a crunchy contrast. The maple-flavored sweetener softens the balsamic vinegar, but should not be confused with regular maple syrup.
The main ingredients
Brown lentils form the base: 100 g of dried lentils, soaked for 4 hours, then cooked with 20 cl of water, covered over low heat, for about 30 minutes. A 400 g can of brown lentils also works, thoroughly rinsed and drained. The red beet, about 90 g cut into wedges, is roasted to concentrate its sweet juices and provides the deep color.
The bunched carrots, 4 carrots washed and cut into 3 or 4 pieces, retain a pleasant texture after roasting, while the red onion, about 75 g cut into wedges, mellows as it cooks. Two handfuls of beet or chard leaves are added at the end of assembly to keep them fresh.
For the vinaigrette, 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil coat the vegetables, 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar adds a rounded acidity and 1 tablespoon of maple-flavored sweetener softens the overall flavor. The blue cheese, such as Roquefort, 100 g crumbled at the last moment, retains its distinctive character, while 40 g of walnuts, or 2 small handfuls, add crunch and woody notes.
Balance, textures and serving
Texture is everything here. The lentils should stay whole without becoming mealy, and draining them thoroughly prevents them from diluting the vinaigrette. Roast the vegetables for 30 minutes at 200 ยฐC in a baking dish or on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper: stir halfway through cooking and leave enough space for the edges to brown, rather than steam in their own juices.
Assemble the salad once the lentils and vegetables have cooled slightly, then add the leaves. Since the blue cheese already adds salt to the dish, taste before adding any more, and scatter over the crumbled blue cheese and walnuts just before serving to preserve the contrasting textures. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container, and if preparing ahead, keep the leaves, cheese and walnuts separate, as the beets will stain the other ingredients over time. Look for dried lentils in the dried pulses aisle, blue cheese in the cheese section, beets with their leaves mainly at the market, and maple-flavored sweetener in a specialty aisle or online.
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Beet and Lentil Salad
Ingredients
- 100 g brown lentils dried + water for soaking
- 200 ml water for cooking the lentils
- 100 g blue cheese such as Roquefort
- 90 g red beet = 1 large or 2 small
- 4 carrots with tops
- 75 g red onion = 1 large or 2 small
- 2 handfuls Swiss chard or red beet leaves
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup sweetener
- 40 g walnuts = 2 small handfuls
Canned lentils
- 1 can brown lentils 400 grams
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.
- Soak the lentils 4 hours ahead of time in plenty of water. Discard the soaking water and rinse the lentils.100 g brown lentils
- Cook them in 200 ml of water with the lid on the saucepan. Simmer gently for half an hour. Then drain or leave to drain in a small strainer.200 ml water
- For canned lentils, simply give them a quick rinse.1 can brown lentils
- Cut the beet into wedges, about 8 for a large beet. Do the same with the onion (peeled). Wash the carrots with tops and cut them into 3 or 4 pieces.90 g red beet, 75 g red onion, 4 carrots with tops
- Mix the olive oil, balsamic vinegar and maple syrup in a salad bowl. Toss the cut vegetables in the mixture. Transfer them to the baking dish and roast for half an hour. Stir halfway through cooking.2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon maple syrup sweetener
- Allow the vegetables (and beans) to cool slightly.
- Mix everything together in the salad bowl with the remaining marinade. Add another drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
- Chop the beet leaves and add them to the beans.2 handfuls Swiss chard
- Divide among the plates. Crumble the cheese and walnuts over the top.100 g blue cheese, 40 g walnuts
