No-Cook Beet and Lentil Salad
Published June 18, 2026
Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
- Ready In
- 20 min
- Rating
- Comments
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Ingredients
½ small red onion, sliced into very thin rounds
4 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
Fine sea salt and black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3 tablespoons pomegranate molasses, divided
1 teaspoon orange blossom water, optional
1 teaspoon grated orange zest, plus 2 tablespoons juice (from 1 small orange)
14 ounces/400 grams ready-cooked vacuum-packed beets, halved if large, cut into ¼-inch matchsticks
1 cup canned, drained black, brown or green lentils (from a 15-ounce can)
½ cup walnuts, roughly chopped
2 to 3 large handfuls roughly torn fresh chives, mint or basil (or a combination)
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
62 grams carbs; 437 calories; 6 grams monosaturated fat; 6 grams polyunsaturated fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 14 grams fat; 10 grams fiber; 414 milligrams sodium; 20 grams protein; 14 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
- Step 1
Add the onion, half the vinegar and a tiny pinch of salt to a small bowl and use your fingers to gently rub everything together. Set aside to soften while you continue with the rest.
- Step 2
Add the remaining vinegar, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses, orange blossom water (if using) and orange juice to a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Add the beets, lentils, ¾ teaspoon salt and a good grind of pepper and gently mix everything together. If time allows, let sit at room temperature for the flavors to combine.
- Step 3
Just before serving, add the remaining onion, walnuts and herbs to the beet mixture and mix until combined. Pile it high onto a shallow serving bowl, sprinkle with the orange zest then drizzle over the last tablespoon each of oil and pomegranate molasses. Serve at room temperature.
Private Notes
Comments
@QuantumJitter summer is fast approaching and many home chefs want to prepare tasty, nutritious meals without having to turn on the oven. This is especially true for us apartment dwellers with small spaces and no central air. Plus the planet is warming and it’s getting to be blazing hot just about everywhere.
@QuantumJitter Because those of us without central air conditioners are clamoring for ways to feed our families when the weather is unbearably hot.
@QuantumJitter Because sometimes it’s too hot to cook. And sometimes we are in a rush. And sometimes it’s both!
I am a hard-core cook, and yet I appreciate recipes that are quick using some premade purchased ingredients like canned lentils or precooked beets. Let's face it, sometimes I do not have the time or the energy to cook something relatively elaborate, but still want something decent, tastewise and nutritionwise. This fits the bills. I like the fact fhat they are all kinds of recipes on the nyt site, even some that barely counts as "cooking", and some that requires hours
I’m not a fan of beets….ideas for an alternative?
Where does one find pomegranate molasses?