Beetroot and lentil herb salad w/ grilled haloumi

Dad grew a pretty great beetroot crop this year. We pickled, we “canned” sliced beetroot, and made a delicious batch of beetroot relish for the year. But there are still more. Perfect for a big pan of roast beets. This salad is zingy and packed full of green herbs. A great vegetarian meal. Haloumi optional.

Roast beetroot salad

2 large serves

Ingredients

1 cup Australian Baby Blue lentils

1 bay leaf

2 roast beetroot, peeled and cut into wedges

1 bunch parsley

1 bunch mint

pepper and salt to taste

4 slices of haloumi (crumbled feta is a good alternative, especially if you are going to pack it up for a picnic or lunch)

Dressing

3 tbs oilve oil

3 tbs lemon juice

1 tbs tamari 

1 tbs wholegrain mustard

1 garlic clove, minced

Instructions

1. Roast your beetroot. They take a good hour. I wrap mine individually in foil and roast until tender. I leave wrapped until cool and then unwrap and peel with my fingers (use gloves if you don’t want stained hands). They store in the fridge in an airtight container for a week, or you can heat preserve them in a pickling brine at this point so you have them for the rest of the year!

2. Whilst the beetroot are roasting, boil your lentils. You really want the Australian Baby Blue or ‘French Style Lentils’ as they hold their shape well. Boil in a pot of water with a bay leaf until al dente, drain and cool. Discard the bay leaf. (You can do this step ahead of time and store the lentils in the fridge until you are assembling the salad).

3. Chop your bunches of herbs.

4. Make the dressing. Place all the dressing ingredients in a jar and shake well to combine.

5. When you are ready to serve, grill your haloumi slices so they are straight of the grill and still warm as you plate.

6. Assemble your salad by tossing the lentils, herbs and dressing together. Plate this and then top with the beetroot wedges, haloumi and a good crack of peppercorns.