Beetroot and lentil salad with tahini

Bold and earthy flavours in a salad that can be eaten on its own or with fish or chicken.

Photo: Bahar Kitapcı.

Beetroots are brilliant. Originally cultivated for their leaves, which you can use the way you do spinach, it was only later people discovered the best part: The root. Its earthy flavour, with a slight sweetness and a deep intensity matched only by its colour, is worth celebrating.

In my view, beetroots work best in one of two ways. With bold flavours bringing a strong contrast, like vinegar, herbs or citrus. Or with earthy ingrediens that complement the beetroot’s flavour.

Here, I’ve gone for the latter.

Lentils and tahini are commonly combined in places like Palestine, and they work a treat with the beets. As you’ll be using the tahini raw – i.e. not blended to a sauce with other ingredients – it’s particularly important to use a good quality one. If you haven’t had a good one, you may be surprised to learn that tahini isn’t supposed to be bitter.

A good tahini should taste good straight out of the jar, and shouldn’t feel too dry or claggy in the mouth. Arab brands are usually the safest option, whereas Western brands are all too often bitter or have an unpleasant mouthfeel. Try different brands until you find one available near you that you like.

I can eat this on its own for lunch with a nice piece of bread alongside, but it’s also great with fish, chicken or as part of a shared meal with multiple dishes. Hope you’ll enjoy making it as much as I do!

Vidar 🧿

Photo: Bahar Kitapcı.

Beetroot and lentil salad with tahini

Side dish or lunch | Middle Eastern inspired | 1 hour 30 minutes | Serves 4–8

Ingredients

4 medium sized beetroots
100 g dried lentils, I prefer beluga or Puy (½ cup)
1 bay leaf
5 whole allspice berries (optional)
2–3 Tbsp tahini, best possible quality
10 g (a handful fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves, or flat-leaf parsley
salt

Dressing

1 clove of garlic, crushed to a paste
1 tsp honey
1 tsp sumac
1 tsp pul biber (Aleppo pepper)
½ tsp ground cumin
2 Tbsp sherry or red wine vinegar
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper

How I make it (quick version)

1. Boil beetroots until tender. Cut into wedges.

2. Cook lentils with bay leaf and allspice.

3. Whisk together dressing ingredients.

4. Combine beetroots, lentils, and dressing.

5. Serve topped with tahini and coriander (cilantro).

How I make it

1. Place the beetroots in a pot of plenty of salted water. Bring to a boil, then simmer gently until tender, about 45 minutes to an hour or more, depending on size. Allow the beetroots to cool, then peel and cut into large wedges.

2. Meanwhile, in a separate pot, bring the lentils, bay leaf and allspice berries to a boil in lightly salted water. Simmer gently until the lentils are tender, about 15–20 minutes. Drain and cool. Remove the bay leaf and allspice berries.

3. Prepare the dressing by whisking together the crushed garlic, honey, sumac, pul biber (Aleppo pepper), ground cumin, vinegar, olive oil, ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

4. In a large bowl, combine the beetroot wedges, lentils, and dressing. Toss gently to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning a final time with more salt and pepper if necessary.

5. Transfer to a serving platter. Drizzle over the tahini and sprinkle with the fresh coriander leaves. Serve immediately.