Black Beluga Lentils with Rocket, Pumpkin, Beetroot, Avocado & Feta
black beluga lentil salad – photo from veggie-licious cookbook
I have been experimenting with these gorgeous black lentils, so called due to their resemblance to Beluga caviar, but they are a lot cheaper, a lot healthier and taste nothing like caviar of course!
When you buy these funky little lentils, they are shiny and black, but when cooked they become dark brown.
They do not require to be pre-soaked and they only take about 20 minutes to cook.
They hold their shape when cooked, so are perfect for salads like this.
Roasted pumpkin, beetroot, rocket and feta salad is one of my favourites and always popular when I serve it to guests.
So I thought I’d spruce it up with the addition of these lentils and I just happened to have a lovely ripe avocado that needed eating, so I decided to add that too.
The result is a great combination, and just delicious…
- 350g pumpkin, diced into 2cm squares
- 2 medium beetroots (250g total), diced into 2cm squares
- 1¾ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ cup cooked black beluga lentils (see below on how to cook)
- 1 bunch (150-200g) rocket
- ½ large ripe avocado, diced
- 30g low fat feta, crumbled or vegan cheese
- Heat oven to 180 degrees. Line a large baking tray with greaseproof paper.
- Place pumpkin and beetroot in a bowl. Drizzle over 3 teaspoons oil and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.
- Toss vegetables to coat, then spread onto tray and bake in oven for 35-40 minutes or until softened and brown.
- Place remaining 1 tablespoon of oil, balsamic vinegar, honey and mustard in a jar and shake well.
- Mix dressing through cooked lentils and set aside.
- Wash and dry rocket.
- When ready to serve, layer rocket, roasted pumpkin, beetroot, ¾ of the lentils and the avocado onto a serving plate.
- Crumble the feta over the top.
- Scatter with the remaining lentils and drizzle any leftover dressing over the salad.
- Serve and enjoy!
Note: If you can’t get black beluga lentils, substitute with puy lentils (preferred) or brown lentils (as a last resort!)
Per Serve: 954kJ or 227 calories; P 8g Fat 13g SFat 3g CHO 15g Fibre 5g
All the colors are beautiful!
Thanks Ani 🙂