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Pickled Beets With Lentils, Baby Spinach and Feta
Ingredients
For the salad
  • 11 oz. green lentils
  • 2-3 T. extra-virgin olive oil
  • 4 shallots thinly sliced
  • 1 garlic clove finely chopped
  • 1 t. sugar
  • 2 t. cumin seeds
  • Sea salt and black pepper
  • 1/2 C. flat-leaf parsley leaves chopped
  • 1/2 C. dill fronds chopped
  • 1/2 C. cilantro chopped
  • 3/4 C. crumbled feta
  • 1 C. baby spinach leaves
  • 1/2 C. chopped roasted walnuts
For the Pickled Beets
  • 6 beets rinsed and peeled
  • 2 C. white wine vinegar
  • 4 C. water
  • 1 C. sugar
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 star anise
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 3 whole cloves
Optional Vinaigrette
  • 1/3 C. olive oil
  • 2 T. red wine vinegar
  • 1 T. balsamic vinegar
  • 2 T. maple syrup
  • 1 garlic clove crushed
  • Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. First, pickle the beets, or, if you want to simplify this recipe, use 1 15 oz. can of pickled beets. To pickle fresh beets, add all the pickling ingredients to a large pot. Bring the pickling liquid to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer for about one and a half hours until the beets are tender. Drain, cool and slice beets into 1-inch cubes. Set aside.
  2. Now, prepare the lentils. Put the lentils in a pan and cover with cold water. Bring the water to a boil and then lower the heat and cook for 20 or 25 minutes until the lentils are tender. Drain. Set aside.
  3. Saute the shallots, garlic, sugar and cumin in a pan with olive oil. You want the shallots to become tender and to begin to brown. While the lentils are still warm, add this sauteed shallot mixture to the lentils and stir. Salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
  4. Finely chop parsley, dill and cilantro. Set aside.
  5. Crumble the feta. Set aside.
  6. To serve the salad, spread the lentils on the bottom of an attractive platter. Arrange the pickled beet cubes on top of the lentils. Scatter the spinach leaves, chopped herbs, chopped walnuts, and feta on top. Just before serving drizzle with more good quality olive oil and season with salt and pepper or, alternatively, drizzle with a vinaigrette.
  7. This vinaigrette recipe would be a wonderful complement to this salad drizzled at the very end, but it is optional. If you decide to use the vinaigrette, simply put all the dressing ingredients into a small jar and shake vigorously.