Roasted beetroot, feta and lentil salad

My mum is great at experimenting in the kitchen.  She cuts recipes out of the newspaper, copies them from magazines and also makes things she’s seen on TV.  So when I visit in the weekend I often get to sample some of her new creations.  This roasted beetroot, feta and lentil salad was one of those dishes.  The spices make it lovely and fragrant and the lentils, beetroot and feta make the perfect mash up of tastes and textures.  This is going to be my lunch for the next few days, along with a side of baby spinach salad.

Lentils are a mixture of protein and slow release carbohydrate, and they’re also high in fibre making them highly satiating.   Recipe adapted from slightly from Breakfast

Roasted beetroot, feta and lentil salad

Ingredients:

1.5 cups brown lentils
1 onion finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic finely chopped
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped ginger
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons turmeric
2 teaspoon curry powder
7 spiced tablespoons vinegar
4 spring onions, sliced
2 stalks of celery, finely chopped
250g bean sprouts
450g roasted baby beetroot, chopped
150g feta cheese, chopped
1/2 cup chopped coriander
1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds

Method

Cook lentils in boiling water for 40 minutes, or until just tender.  Drain and place in a bowl to cool.  Saute onion and garlic in olive oil for around 5 minutes over a low heat (you want them clear, not brown) Add ginger, spices and curry powder. Cook for around two minutes.  Stir in vinegar and bring to the boil. Pour hot vinegar mixture over lentils, stir and leave to cool.

Add spring onions, celery, sprouts, beetroot, feta, coriander, parsley and pumpkin seeds to the lentils and mix gently.  Serve warm or at room temperature.