Roast Beetroot Salad with Lentils, Fennel and Blood Orange in a Blood Orange Dressing

Even on the coldest and dreariest winters day, this beautiful vegan Roast Beetroot Salad with Lentils, Fennel and Blood Orange  with a Blood Orange Dressing will brighten up your day. And your palate!

My favourite way to eat blood oranges is in segments. Removing the skin and pith reveals a beautifully sweet, almost sherbet like juicy, jewel that you can’t help but fall in love with.

And those jewelled segments work beautifully in salads, such as this roast beetroot salad with fennel, lentils and blood orange.

Here I’ve combined beautiful roasted golden beetroot with roasted fennel and French green lentils, which hold their shape after cooking and provide both a bit of protein and a lovely nutty bite.

Add a few greens, such as broadleaf rocket (arugula) or watercress and a blood orange dressing and you have a complete meal.

I know fennel is a polarising vegetable, which is why I’ve opted to roast it in this recipe, to reduce the aniseed flavour that so many people dislike. However, my preference is to actually to add it raw to this salad. Not only does it add a lovely crunch but I actually enjoy the aniseed contrasting with the earthy beetroot and sweet oranges. The choice is yours.

In the photo above I added a few dollops of cashew ricotta. If you are lucky enough to be able to eat cheese then I’d add some salty feta for a lovely contrast of sweet, salty and earthy.

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Roast Beetroot Salad with Lentils, Fennel and Blood Orange

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 20 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes

Author Jennifer Schmidt

Ingredients

• 3-4 small golden beetroot around 300g (10 1/2 oz)
• 2 tsp olive oil (5 1/4 oz)
• 150 g French green lentils
• 1/2 fennel thinly sliced
• 1/2 red onion finely diced
• 1 1/2 cups broadleaf rocket (arugula)
• 4 blood oranges

DRESSING:

• 1/4 cup blood orange juice
• 2 tsp champagne or white wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• pinch of sugar or dash of maple syrup the amount will depend on how sweet your oranges are
• salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180 celsius (350 fahrenheit). Place the beetroot in a large sheet of baking paper (it should be large enough to fold over the beetroot with some overhang which you'll use to secure it) and toss the beetroot in the olive oil. Fold the paper over the beetroot and fold the edges to secure, ensuring that the paper covers the beetroot and won't open in the oven. Place in a baking tray and roast for 40 minutes or until the beetroot is tender. Once cooked leave to cool and remove the outer skin and slice thinly.
2. Meanwhile cook the lentils. Place the lentils in a medium saucepan and cover with water. Place over a high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce to low and simmer, covered for 15 to 20 minutes or until the lentils are tender. Drain and leave to cool.
3. If roasting the fennel toss the slices in a further tsp of olive oil and season with salt and place on a baking tray and roast for 15 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden.
4. Carefully segment the oranges and squeeze the juice from the remaining skin which you'll use to make the dressing. If you don't have enough juice you might have to juice another half an orange.
5. To make the dressing combine the ingredients in a jar and shake vigorously. Taste and if the dressing isn't sweet enough add a pinch of sugar or maple syrup and adjust the seasonings.
6. Place all of the salad ingredients in a large bowl, except the orange segments and toss to combine. If serving immediately add spoonfuls of the dressing, enough to just coast everything but not pool in the bottom of the bowl, and decorate with the orange segments. If not serving immediately refrigerate and dress just before serving.

Recipe Notes

If you can tolerate cheese, salty feta would be a wonderful addition. Lightly toasted walnuts would also be lovely and add a welcome crunch.