Roasted Golden Beet, Citrus, Lentil Salad

A superfood salad that’s as delicious as it is beautiful! Nourish your body with this Roasted Golden Beet, Citrus, Lentil Salad. Perfect as a meatless main dish or side dish! 

If you’re anything like me, it’s getting to be that time during the holiday season when salads and healthy meals look really good. After a few weeks of having cookies, candy, cocktails and party food galore coming at you from every direction, it’s nice to have a break from it and eat real food again. To get some real food back into your diet I’m sharing this wonderful recipes for a Roasted Golden Beet, Citrus, Lentil Salad.

Salads often get pushed aside during the winter months and are replaced with heavy comfort foods and warm soups. I won’t deny that on a cold night a salad isn’t my first choice for dinner, but I do make a point of having one every night.

This Roasted Golden Beet, Citrus, Lentil Salad would be a wonderful side salad to a hot bowl of soup or a plate of pasta and it’s festive colors would be beautiful on your holiday table! It’s also a hearty enough salad thanks to the protein and carbs in the lentils that you could make it a main dish salad or lunch.

Lentils never used to be a favorite of mine, but their rich peppery flavor has grown on me and I absolutely love them now. Not to mention they are loaded iron, magnesium and are a great substitute for meat.

I like all lentils, but I’m particularly fond of French green lentils, which are the ones I used in this salad and in this One Pot Cheesy Mexican Lentils, Black Beans and Rice recipe that I shared last week. They hold their shape well and are have a nice chewy bite assuming you don’t cook them to death.

As I mentioned last week, 2016 had been declared the International Year of Pulses. Last time I told you about the healthy benefits of adding pulses to your diet and today I’m telling you about their sustainability benefits and how affordable they are.

Pulses are a truly sustainable food. They can grow in harsh environments, require little to no irrigation, have one of the lowest carbon footprints and they naturally fertilize the soil where they grow. On top of their sustainability these superfoods are incredibly versatile.

Pulses can be added to pasta dishes and salads to give them an extra dose of protein and fiber or puree them and add them into baked goods. They create moist, dense and delicious results! If you’re making a meat dish try replacing half of the meat with pulses. Not only will you reap the nutritional benefits, but save money as well.

Try to set the cookies and heavy meals aside for one night and nourish your body with this Roasted Golden Beet, Citrus, Lentil Salad. If you haven’t taken the Pulse Pledge yet, there’s still time! Not only will you be benefiting you body, but the earth as well!

Roasted Golden Beet, Citrus, Lentil Salad

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

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Ingredients

Salad

• 1/2 cup cooked lentils, I used French lentils
• 3 medium sized golden beets
• 2 navel oranges, peeled and segmented
• 2 mandarin oranges, peeled and segmented
• 1/3 cup pomegranate seeds
• 1/4 cup shelled pistachios
• 4 cups mixed greens of choice

Orange Vinaigrette

• 1/3 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons honey, agave or maple syrup for vegan
• 2 teaspoons white wine or white balsamic vinegar
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

Orange Vinaigrette

1. Whisk together all of the ingredients for the vinaigrette in a jar or small bowl and set aside.

Salad

1. Cook the lentils according to package instructions. (I cooked mine in vegetable broth for more flavor)
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.
3. Peel the beets with a vegetable peeler and cut them into wedges.
4. Place the beets on the prepared baking sheet, drizzle them with olive oil, salt and pepper and toss to coat.
5. Spread the beets into a single layer then roast them for approximately 25-30 minutes minutes or until tender, shaking the tray and tossing them around a couple of time to ensure even cooking.
6. Remove from the oven and cool while you assemble the salad.
7. In a large bowl add the mixed greens.
8. Top with the beets, oranges, lentils, pomegranate seeds and pistachios.
9. Serve the orange vinaigrette on the side or dress the saladright before serving to ensure all the ingredients stay crisp.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 273 Total Fat: 3g Saturated Fat: 0g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 2g Cholesterol: 0mg Sodium: 300mg Carbohydrates: 55g Fiber: 11g Sugar: 32g Protein: 10g

Thanks to USA Pulses & Pulse Canada for sponsoring this post. As always all opinions are my own.