Beetroot and Feta Salad with Rocket and Sundried Tomatoes

Name: Beetroot and Feta Salad with Rocket and Sundried Tomatoes
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Cuisine: Salad
Ingredients: 1 x 250g pouch puy lentils (I like Merchant Gourmet); 4 small, pre-cooked beetroots (vacuum packed ones are great); 2 handfuls of rocket; 100g feta (around half a block), crumbled; Handful of walnuts (ideally roasted); ½ cup sundried tomatoes, chopped with oil reserved; 2 small spring onions, chopped

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This is just a perfect salad. I always say some salads are just fine. They do the job, you eat them but they are bland and you aren’t thinking about the next time you’ll make it. But this salad, this gorgeous Beetroot and Feta Salad, is very different. And the best part is it takes 10 minutes to pull together, start to finish, making it the perfect easy salad after a long day. A weeknight dream!

Of course, all salads are customisable so you can swap things in for what you’d maybe prefer (see my suggestions below) but I would truly recommend trying it this exact combination before. The beetroot are soft and sweet, with the sweet sun-dried tomatoes, salty feta, earthy lentils, crunchy walnuts and peppery rocket, it’s a perfectly balanced salad. I use the oil from the jar of sundried tomatoes as the dressing for the salad. It’s full of flavour and with a sprinkle of salt and pepper, it coats the salad so nicely.

Why you will love this Beetroot and Feta Salad recipe:

It comes together in 10 minutes or less (I have made this in 5 minutes before)
It uses pre-cooked ingredients for maximum ease. By that I mean the precooked lentil pouches and packs of beetroot. You can make it all from scratch of course but I love shortcuts like this.
The salad is perfectly balanced with all the different components that are sweet, salty, crunchy, earthy, punchy.

Ingredients:

Puy lentils - I like the pre cooked version in pouches but you can also cook at home

Beetroot - the small vacuum packed ones that are pre-cooked are great and so easy.

Rocket - pre-washed is the easiest one to buy if you can find it.

Feta - creamy and salty, it balances it out the rest of the salad. I like full-fat feta as it’s a lot creamier but lower fat one would also work

Walnuts - for a bit of crunch. You could use other nuts too but I find walnuts are best.

Sundried tomatoes - the oil-packed ones in the jar are the best. I use the oil as the salad dressing after and I also find the jarred ones are most cost-effective than the fresh pots from the deli section.

Spring onion - just adds a little bite to the salad. I like to use the whole thing: the green tops and the whites at the bottom too.

Full recipe can be found in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post, just scroll down!

Substitutions and Variations:

Lentils: I like puy lentils. Merchant Gourmet do great pouches but other lentils work too such as green lentils. I wouldn’t do split lentils as they don’t hold they shape. You can also buy lentils in a tin but they aren’t salted and don’t have the same flavour as the pouches so just make sure you season well.

Beetroot: if you can’t find pre-cooked beetroot, you can roast fresh beetroot. Peel the beetroots and chop into bite-sized pieces. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast at 200c for 30-40 minutes. Beetroot obviously stains hands and boards so wear gloves if that bothers you. I just make sure to wash my hands and board straight after and a little bit of pink on my fingers doesn’t really bother me.

Rocket: you could also use watercress, pea shoots, any other mixed leaves. Rocket is good because it’s peppery so I think it’s best here but you can use other leaves too.
Feta: this would also be great with goat’s cheese.

Walnuts: I would also use almonds, hazelnuts, pine nuts or even cashews. Experiment a bit and see what you like. I like to toast nuts before adding to the salad, either in a pan keeping it moving or in a 180c oven until fragrant and golden.

Here's how to make this simple Beetroot and Feta Salad:

Here's a step by step guide for what you need to do, but you can find the full recipe below for detailed instructions.

ONE: Heat the lentils according to package instructions. Chop the beetroot (wash your board straight after to avoid staining) and add to a large bowl.

TWO: Add rocket, warmed lentils, crumbled feta, sundried tomatoes and spring onions. Use your hands to crush the walnuts in your hands and add to the bowl.

THREE: Drizzle with a few tablespoon of sundried tomato oil, season with salt and pepper.

FOUR: Toss the salad together then serve!

Cooking Tips:

Salad dressing: I love it with just the oil from the sundried tomatoes as it’s flavourful and often ends up in the bin otherwise, so I like to use it. But it would also be a good use of a classic French vinaigrette. In a jar, add 1 teaspoon dijon mustard, 2 tablespoon red wine vinegar and 3 tablespoon olive oil, along with salt and pepper. Shake together and this becomes a lovely emulsified dressing.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to cook lentils at home, instead of buying the pre-cooked pouches?

The lentil experts Merchant Gourmet have a very good step by step guide to cooking lentils. In short, they need rinsing before adding to a saucepan. You need 1 part lentil to 3 parts water e.g. 100g lentils to 300ml water. Bring to a boil, reduce to a very low simmer for around 20-25 minutes until tender. Cover with a lid and let them sit for 5 minutes before serving. The residual heat is an important step at the end!

Can I used tinned lentils rather than pouches?

Yes you can but they do tend to be less flavourful than the pouches. Just make sure you season really well before serving as they do need salt.

How long does beetroot and feta salad keep?

Once it’s mixed together, I would eat it pretty quickly as the rocket wilts. However, the individual components can be prepped and they each keep a few days in an airtight container and then toss together with the dressing once ready.

Other recipes you might enjoy:

If you want more salads, I have plenty! There’s nothing like a perfect salad but you do need to make sure it’s balanced for the perfect bite. Try Jennifer Aniston’s favourite salad, with quinoa and chickpeas or this Greek Pasta Salad with Orzo is delicious and does the whole meal since it contains carbs, protein and veg. If you want a summer salad, I love this Tomato & Strawberry one, with mozzarella and balsamic. Delicious. Beetroot is a great ingredient, so this Sticky Chicken and Onion Traybake with Beetroot is so good.

Made this recipe and loved it?

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