The origin of lentil and beet salad is unknown, but both ingredients are native to the Mediterranean region. The word lentil comes from the Latin word lens, because the legume is shaped like an optical lens. Lentils are an ancient food and are mentioned in the Bible. The other signature ingredient, beets, has a more recent culinary history. Historically, beets were mainly used as medicine and didn’t become common as food until the 1800s. The combination of beets and goat cheese became popular in the early 1980s in the San Francisco Bay area. Today, salads made of beets, lentils, and goat cheese are popular throughout America.
Recipe Servings: 4
Ingredients
Roasted Beets:
Sherry Vinaigrette:
- ¼ cup sherry vinegar
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup olive oil
Lentils:
- 1 medium spanish onion, peeled and quartered
- 1 carrot, quartered, and 1 small carrot, peeled and finely diced
- 1 celery stalk, quartered
- 1 fresh or dried bay leaf
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 1¼ cups dried french green lentils
- Salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- ¼ lb bacon, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tsp fresh thyme, finely chopped
- 1 Tbsp sherry vinegar
- 4 cups frisée or mixed greens
- 4 slices goat cheese
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Coat the beets with olive oil and wrap them separately in foil. Place them on a baking sheet and place in the oven for 45–60 minutes or until cooked through.
- Remove the beets from the oven and let them cool for 10 minutes before peeling and slicing into ¼-inch thick pieces.
- Whisk together the sherry vinegar, Dijon mustard, thyme, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
- Drizzle in the oil slowly, whisking until well combined.
- Combine the onion, quartered carrot, celery, bay leaf, and thyme sprigs on a piece of cheesecloth and tie it closed.
- Pour the chicken stock into a medium-size saucepan, add the cheesecloth bag, and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Stir in the lentils, season with salt and pepper, and then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook for about 20 minutes or until the lentils are tender.
- Drain the lentils and discard the cheesecloth bag.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet set over medium heat.
- Add the bacon and cook until lightly browned.
- Transfer the bacon from the pan to paper towel using a slotted spoon.
- Add the garlic and diced carrot to the pan, cooking for about 5 minutes or until soft.
- Add the cooked lentils and bacon to the pan, stirring to combine.
- Stir in the thyme and sherry vinegar.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste and keep warm until needed.
- Combine the frisée or mixed greens and ½ of the sherry vinaigrette in a large bowl, tossing to coat. Season with salt and pepper.
- Arrange the beets around the edges of four dinner plates, being sure to give each plate an equal portion.
- Divide the greens equally among the four plates, placing them in the center.
- Top the greens with the warm lentils, dividing them equally among the four plates
- Place a slice of goat cheese on top of the lentils on each plate.
- Drizzle the remaining sherry vinaigrette over the salads and serve immediately.
For Roasted Beets:
For Sherry Vinaigrette:
For Lentils:
For Assembly:
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