Roast beetroot, lentil and herb salad with a mustard dressing

Serves - 4

You’ll need

• 600g beetroot, peeled and cut into wedges
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 x 400g tin green or brown lentils, drained and rinsed
• 1 small red onion, very finely sliced
• Small handful flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
• Small handful mint, roughly chopped
• Small handful dill, roughly chopped
• 50g rocket or mixed leaves, optional
• Sea salt
• Black pepper

For the mustard dressing
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp wholegrain mustard
• 1 tsp maple syrup
• Sea salt
• Black pepper

Method

1. Roast the beetroot

Heat the oven to 200°C fan. Tip the beetroot into a roasting tray, add the olive oil, season well with salt and black pepper, then toss everything together. Roast for 35–40 minutes, turning once halfway through, until tender and catching a little at the edges. You want it soft enough to give easily, with a bit of colour for good measure.

2. Make the dressing

While the beetroot roasts, whisk together the extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, wholegrain mustard, maple syrup, a pinch of salt and a good grind of black pepper. It should taste sharp, punchy and just slightly rounded out, not flat and overly polite.

3. Get the rest ready

Put the lentils into a large bowl with the red onion, parsley, mint and dill. If you are using rocket or mixed leaves, keep those back for the end so they stay fresh and lively rather than getting flattened too soon.

4. Bring it all together

Once the beetroot is roasted, leave it for a couple of minutes to cool slightly, then tip it into the bowl with the lentils and herbs. Pour over most of the dressing and toss gently so everything gets coated without turning into a magenta free-for-all.

5. Finish and serve

Fold through the rocket or mixed leaves, if using, then transfer to a serving dish. Spoon over the remaining dressing and serve warm or at room temperature. It is very happy either way.

A couple of helpful notes

- If your red onion is especially punchy, soak the slices in cold water for 10 minutes before adding them to the salad.
- Puy lentils work beautifully here as well if you are cooking from scratch rather than using tinned.
- A handful of toasted walnuts or pumpkin seeds over the top would work very nicely if you want a bit more crunch.