Lentil Salad With Beets Recipes

WARM LENTIL SALAD WITH ROASTED BEETS AND GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• Begin by roasting the beets.
• Tie onion, carrot, celery, bay leaf, and thyme sprigs together in cheesecloth. Place chicken stock in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir in the lentils, season with salt and pepper, and reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the lentils are tender, about 20 minutes. Drain well and discard the cheesecloth bag of aromatics.
• Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until lightly golden brown. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a dish lined with paper towels. Add the garlic and carrot to the pan and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the cooked lentils and bacon to the pan and stir to combine. Stir in the chopped thyme and 1 tablespoon of sherry vinegar. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Keep warm.
• To assemble, place the frisee in a large bowl, toss with half of the vinaigrette, and season with salt and pepper. Arrange the roasted beets around the outside of 4 dinner plates. Divide the greens among each plate in the center. Top the frisee with some of the warm lentils and place a slice of the goat cheese on top. Drizzle each salad with the remaining vinaigrette. Serve with slices of French bread.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Coat beets lightly with oil. Wrap beets in aluminum foil, place on a baking sheet, and roast in the oven until cooked through, approximately 45 to 60 minutes. Remove from the oven, let cool for 10 minutes, and then peel and slice into 1/4-inch thick slices.
• Whisk together the vinegar, mustard, thyme and salt and pepper in a small bowl. Slowly drizzle in the oil and whisk until emulsified.

LENTIL SALAD WITH BEETS AND BACON

Steps:

• Chop about two-thirds of the bacon into 1/4-inch pieces; set aside. Wrap the thyme, bay leaf, peppercorns and garlic in a piece of cheesecloth; tie closed with kitchen twine. Combine the cheesecloth bundle, the remaining slab bacon, the lentils and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water by about 2 inches. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the lentils are tender, about 25 minutes. Drain, discarding the cheesecloth bundle and bacon; let cool.
• Meanwhile, cook the chopped bacon in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and just crisp, about 10 minutes. Drain on paper towels; set aside.
• Make the dressing: Whisk the mustard and vinegar in a large bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until emulsified. Toss the beets with about 1 tablespoon of the dressing in a small bowl; season with salt and pepper.
• Assemble the salad: Add the lettuce, endive, shallot, parsley, chives and the prepared lentils and bacon to the bowl with the dressing; season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper and toss. Top each serving with some beets.

LENTIL SALAD WITH BEETS

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, combine onion, quartered carrot, celery, bay leaf, and 5 cups water; cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, add lentils, and simmer, uncovered, until lentils are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain, and discard the seasonings.
• Meanwhile, place beets in a medium saucepan. Add enough water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cooking until fork-tender. Remove saucepan from heat. Remove beets from water, and set aside until cool enough to handle, reserving cooking liquid. Peel, and return beets to cooking liquid until ready to serve.
• Make the vinaigrette: In a medium bowl, whisk together mustard, honey, sugar, and balsamic vinegar. Still whisking, slowly add 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; set aside.
• In a medium nonstick skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Add the finely chopped carrot and bacon. Cook until the color of the bacon has changed, about 1 minute. Add the cooked lentils, and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the lentils are heated through. Drizzle with red-wine vinegar, and stir to combine. Transfer lentils to a medium bowl.
• Place greens in a medium bowl. Drizzle with vinaigrette, tossing to combine. Divide greens among four plates. Top with warm lentils. Place a slice of goat cheese on the lentils. Slice beets and arrange around the perimeter of the plates; serve immediately.

LENTIL SALAD WITH BEETS AND GINGER

Steps:

• Place lentils in a heavy saucepan, cover with cold water to a depth of one inch, bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer until the lentils are tender, about 40 minutes. Drain the lentils and set aside, covered.
• While the lentils are cooking, cut the beet tops down to within an inch of the bulbs. Place the beets in a saucepan, cover with water and simmer until they are tender, about 20 minutes. Drain, peel and dice the beets, discarding the stems and roots.
• Heat the oil in a small skillet and add the ginger. Saute for a minute or so, then pour this oil over the drained lentils. Add the diced beets and fold them in.
• Beat the mustard and vinegar together and pour over the salad. Fold all the ingredients together. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve warm or at room temperature.

BEET AND LENTIL SALAD WITH CHEDDAR

Steps:

• Prepare the salad: In a medium pot, add the lentils, garlic and 4 cups water. Season with salt and bring to a boil over high. Reduce heat to medium, cover and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes until just tender. (The lentils should still have some bite). Drain in a colander and stir to break up and evenly distribute the garlic. Let the lentils cool slightly.
• While the lentils cook, prepare the vinaigrette: In a large serving bowl, whisk the garlic, vinegar, oil, maple syrup and mustard with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.
• Add the warm lentils to the serving bowl, then add the arugula, herbs and beets. Season with salt and black pepper and toss. Add the Cheddar and toss gently, but don't overdo it because you don't want the cheese to turn crimson from the beets. To serve, top with hazelnuts.