- 500g chioggia beetroot
- A handful of thyme
- 1 orange
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 garlic clove
- 400g tin of green lentils
- 100g baby leaf spinach
- 100g soft sheep's cheese
- 1 tbsp pumpkin seeds
- Sea salt + black pepper
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1.
Preheat your oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6. Trim the tops from the beetroot, then scrub them clean. Use a sharp knife to cut them into 1cm-thick slices – no need to peel unless you prefer to. Arrange the slices in a roasting tin. Pick the thyme leaves off their woody sprigs and sprinkle on top, along with a good pinch of salt and pepper. Drizzle over 1 tbsp oil and toss everything together till coated. Slide into the oven and roast for 20 mins, till tender and starting to caramelise.
- 2.
Meanwhile, make the dressing. Finely grate the orange zest into a small bowl and squeeze in 2 tbsp juice. Add the honey. Peel and grate in the garlic clove. Whisk in 2 tbsp olive oil and a little salt and pepper till well combined. Taste and add more orange juice, oil, salt or pepper if you think it needs it.
- 3.
Drain and rinse the green lentils. Tip these into a large bowl. Tumble in the baby spinach leaves.
- 4.
When the beetroot is tender and lightly caramelised, remove from the oven. Let the beetroot cool for 5 mins, then add to the bowl. Drizzle over the dressing. Toss well to mix.
- 5.
Divide the beetroot salad between warm plates and dot over the sheep’s cheese. Scatter over the pumpkin seeds. Crack a little pepper over the top and serve.
- Tip
Stain-Free Prep
Beetroot likes to stain everything. So when you're preparing beetroot, use a glass chopping board or one you can wash up straight away, and wear an apron to protect your clothes. You can squeeze a little lemon juice onto your hands and rub them together to help shift any beetroot stains from your fingers.
