Roasted Balsamic Beetroot and Carrot Salad
with natural yoghurt
Roasted Carrot and Beetroot Salad with Lentils—a tasty mix of roasted veggies, lentils, and a sweet Cranberry & Orange balsamic touch. Top it off with creamy yoghurt, pepitas, and enjoy a simple, delicious salad bursting with flavours!
Serves 4
Effort: Easy
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes
Gluten free
Ingredients
4 carrots, peeled and cut into 4-6 evenly sized pieces
1 can (450g) baby beetroot, drained and sliced
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 can lentils, drained (brown or green lentils will work here)
2 tbsp Cranberry & Orange balsamic, plus extra for drizzling
175g natural yoghurt
A handful each of fresh mint and flat-leaf parsley
Pepitas, for garnish
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 180c fan.
2. Place peeled and chopped carrots and sliced baby beets on a lined baking tray. Drizzle with 2 tbsp olive oil and season with cumin, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Roast in the oven for 45 minutes until fork-tender.
Tip: Even Veggie Slices - When chopping the carrots and slicing the baby beetroot, aim for even-sized pieces. This ensures uniform cooking, allowing all vegetables to roast to perfection without some pieces being overcooked or undercooked.
3. While the vegetables roast, rinse and drain the lentils. Allow them to drain completely.
4. Once the roasted vegetables are done, drizzle them with 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar and let them cool.
5. To assemble the salad, spread half of the natural yoghurt on the base of a plate. Top with drained lentils and the roasted vegetables. Add dollops of the remaining yoghurt on the vegetables.
6. Sprinkle pepitas over the top and garnish with chopped fresh mint and flat-leaf parsley.
7. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar, season to taste, and serve. Enjoy your flavorful and nutritious roasted carrot and beetroot salad with lentils!
Hints & tips
Canned veggies - Canned vegetables are pre-cooked and ready to use, saving you time and effort in the kitchen. They eliminate the need for extensive preparation and cooking, making it easier to whip up a quick and convenient recipe. It goes without saying you can buy and cook your own beetroot and lentils if you prefer.
Easy swaps - If you can’t source canned baby beetroot you can use canned wedges or even the precooked fresh beetroot that is usually available in the fridge section of the supermarket.
Other alternatives are swapping the pepitas for or seeds or nuts you have to hand.
Serving suggestion - This salad is great served at your next BBQ or with a simple roast chicken. Add crusty bread to mop all the delicious juices!
Portion size - This isn’t a huge side dish but serves 4 comfortably or 2 with leftovers.
Storage - Store in the fridge for 3 days. Not suitable for freezing.
