Beet and Lentil Salad With Cheddar

By Hetty Lui McKinnon

Updated April 19, 2021

  • Beatriz Da Costa for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Rebecca Jurkevich.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
30 minutes
Rating
4(1,737)
Comments
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This salad is a party of sweet, earthy and salty flavors. Store-bought, vacuum-packed beets are called for here, which are not only convenient, but have a mellow fruitiness and a tender texture that is ideal in salads. (If you have fresh beets, and have the time to roast them, you can use those instead.) Beets naturally pair well with sharp and tangy ingredients, and while goat cheese may be a more common accompaniment, crumbly aged Cheddar offsets the sweetness of the beets and the apple cider dressing (though any sharp Cheddar works). French green lentils offer a nutty, peppery, almost mineral-like flavor and are perfect for salads because they hold their shape well, though if you only have brown lentils, that’s just fine. (They cook slightly faster, so adjust the cook time accordingly.) Finally, there’s no shame in opting for canned lentils.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

FOR THE SALAD

  • 1 ½ cups French green lentils, rinsed

  • 1 garlic clove, smashed

  • Kosher salt and black pepper

  • 2 cups arugula leaves

  • ½ cup soft herbs, such as dill, parsley, mint or cilantro, roughly chopped

  • 1 (16-ounce) package cooked whole beets (or 1 pound roasted beets), cut into ½-inch wedges

  • 4 ounces extra sharp Cheddar, roughly crumbled

  • ¼ cup roasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped

FOR THE APPLE CIDER VINAIGRETTE

  • 1 small garlic clove, grated

  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup or brown sugar

  • ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

64 grams carbs; 28 milligrams cholesterol; 621 calories; 17 grams monosaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 8 grams saturated fat; 30 grams fat; 13 grams fiber; 615 milligrams sodium; 29 grams protein; 13 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Prepare the salad: In a medium pot, add the lentils, garlic and 4 cups water. Season with salt and bring to a boil over high. Reduce heat to medium, cover and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes until just tender. (The lentils should still have some bite). Drain in a colander and stir to break up and evenly distribute the garlic. Let the lentils cool slightly.

  2. Step 2

    While the lentils cook, prepare the vinaigrette: In a large serving bowl, whisk the garlic, vinegar, oil, maple syrup and mustard with ¼ teaspoon salt and ⅛ teaspoon pepper.

  3. Step 3

    Add the warm lentils to the serving bowl, then add the arugula, herbs and beets. Season with salt and black pepper and toss. Add the Cheddar and toss gently, but don’t overdo it because you don’t want the cheese to turn crimson from the beets. To serve, top with hazelnuts.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
1,737 user ratings
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Comments

Nancy

I love lentils. I love beets. I love cheddar. Ditto vinaigrette. I've made lentil salad before pretty much like this, but never thought of adding beets! Brilliant! AND I used store-bought cooked beets, which until now were anathema to me: they're just as good as home-roasted and SO much less fuss... Didn't use syrup, beets are plenty sweet; added chopped walnuts to the cooling lentils instead of topping with hazelnuts. Otherwise, made as written. Just excellent.

nicola

Next time I will omit the maple syrup, as I prefer a zesty dressing. I will also increase the amount of herbs. It is a really lovely meal to have for lunch on a sunny day.

Juliet Jones

Don't use canned lentils, they have a metallic taste.

MG

I made a few changes based on what I had in the house. I salt roasted the beets and used thinly chopped kale instead of arugula. I layered the ingredients instead of tossed them for aesthetic reasons because the colors were so nice. In place of cheddar, I used a 6 minute boiled egg and a scoop of labne. All topped with chopped pistachios and plenty of fresh herbs and dressing spooned on top. The results were beautiful and delicious

Tim

@aaron I agree about doubling the dressing. I loved the flavour, I just needed a little more.

Tim

Loved this recipe because the flavour profile is lovely and balanced, while it's reasonably adaptable to your tastes and what's in your pantry. Owing to a lack of hazelnuts on hand, I used pecans and it was still wonderful. Parsley is always a necessity for me, and I used dill but would have loved mint. Next time, I will double the vinaigrette, but I highly recommend that people keep the maple syrup... it doesn't make it less zesty, but the raw garlic and the Dijon need it. What you really need is just more dressing.

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