Beets and Lentils with Pistachio and Cranberry Vinaigrette
For me beets are one of those foods that I’m like ‘Why don’t I eat this more? I love them!’ then I make them and remember why. I am terrible at planning ahead and while beets aren’t exactly a labour of love they do require some forward thinking. But a beautifully roasted beet is a textural delight and well worth the time commitment.
While they are a bit harder to acquire in my area of Canada I prefer a golden beet to your classic red one purely for the purpose of limiting the mess. If red beets are what you’ve got on hand don’t let that get in the way of trying this recipe as they are an absolutely perfect substitution!
Let’s Cook Some Beets!
There are a few ways to cook beets but my go-to is to give ’em a scrub, squiggle some oil on top, sprinkle with salt and put them in a foil pack. The radiant heat of the oven provides an even heat source and the foil contains all of the moisture allowing them to steam themselves. You can also just jam a cake tester through the foil pack to check for doneness which is fun. Once they are tender and cool enough to handle the skins should be able to easily peel away the skins.
For this application, I didn’t want to roast the beets because the two different shapes would require different cooking times. Additionally, the roasting process would add caramelized and toasted flavours that I didn’t want to compete with the sauce. You could boil the beets but if you are using red beets you will lose a lot of the colour as the anthocyanin which is responsible for the red colour is water soluble.
A Note on the Sauce
This sauce is inspired by the Italian classic agrodolce, a sweet and sour condiment that’s full of vinegar or wine, dried fruit, nuts and alliums. It’s usually thick in consistency and commonly used as a condiment. I truly love the combination of sweet and “insert anything here” so the first time I tried it I fell in love.
Prep
- The beets and lentils can be cooked and stored in the fridge up to 4 days in advance.
- The dressing can be made up to a week ahead and stored in the fridge.
- It won’t be as beautiful after sitting in the fridge but with time for the lentils to marinade in the dressing, this dish will become even more delicious after a day.
Grocery List
Beets and Lentils with Pistachio and Cranberry Vinaigrette
Equipment
- Cutting Board
- Chefs Knife
- Pot
- Y Peeler
- Microplane
- Mixing Bowl
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Tin Foil
Ingredients
Beets
- 1 lb Beets (red or golden)
- Olive Oil
- Salt
Lentils
- 1 Cup Green Lentils
- 1 pc Garlic Clove
Pistachio and Cranberry Vinaigrette
- 1 pc Lime
- 1/4 cup Pistachios
- 1/2 inch Ginger
- 1/2 cup Dried Cranberries
- 1/4 cup Red Wine Vinegar
- 3 Tbsp Maple Syrup
- 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
Garnish
- Microgreens
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400F.
- Scrub and trim your beets before transferring them to a large piece of aluminum foil. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and wrap the foil tightly around the beets.
- Place the beets in the oven until soft. The time will vary depending on the size of the beets but 1-1.5 hours is a good start.When they are cool enough to handle peel away the skins before dicing 1/4 of them and cutting the remaining beets into wedges.
- Meanwhile, crush a garlic clove and add to a pot with the lentils, a generous pinch of salt and 4 cups of water.Bring the lentils to a simmer and cook for 20-25 minutes or until tender then drain.
- While the lentils cook make the vinaigrette. Zest and juice the lime, peel and grate the ginger, finely chop the pistachios and add to a small bowl with the remaining dressing ingredients. Stir to combine then taste for seasoning and add salt as necessary.
- When the lentils are cooked and drained of any remaining liquid stir in half of the dressing and transfer to your serving dish.Top with the beet wedges and spoon the remaining dressing over top. If using spread sprouts or microgreens over top. Enjoy!
