Ingredients
- ½ cup / 100 g black lentils, soaked (overnight if possible)
- Fine sea salt
- 6 mixed beets (2 pounds / 1 kg; red, golden, white, Chioggia … )
- ¼ cup / 60 ml cold-pressed olive oil
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup or raw honey
- 2 organic grated zest
- ½ cup / 10 g chopped flat-leaf parsley
- ¼ cup / 35 g raw pine nuts, lightly toasted
- Freshly cracked black pepper
How to Make It
- Preheat the oven to 400°F / 200°C.
- Drain and rinse the lentils, put them in a saucepan, and cover with water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until tender but not mushy, 10 to 20 minutes, depending on the soaking time. When the lentils are almost cooked, add ¾ teaspoon salt and continue to simmer until tender. Drain, and rinse under cold water to halt the cooking. Put the lentils in a large bowl.
- Wrap 4 beets in aluminum foil and put them on a baking sheet. Roast the beets until they are cooked through, 35 to 50 minutes, depending on their size. Remove from the oven, let sit in their foil for about 15 minutes, and when they are cool enough to handle, unwrap the foil and slip the skins off. Chop the beets into bite-size pieces and add them to the lentils.
- Peel the remaining 2 beets. Using a mandoline or a sharp knife, slice the beets into thin rounds; then slice the rounds crosswise to make matchsticks. Add the raw beets to the lentils and roasted beets.
- Whisk the olive oil, vinegar, maple syrup, and a pinch of salt together in a small bowl, and pour this dressing over the salad. Add the orange zest, chopped parsley, and pine nuts, and season with salt and pepper. Enjoy.
