This Balsamic Beet and cucumber Salad with lentils and fresh herbs takes only 10 minutes to throw together and is packed with sweet, tangy, and salty flavors. It’s a delicious vegan, gluten-free side dish!
This beet salad couldn’t be simpler to make. Beets (roasted, canned, red, or golden) are mixed with cooked lentils, sweet and crunchy cucumbers, and tangy fresh parsley.
Everything is tossed in a super simple balsamic vinaigrette made from balsamic vinegar, extra-virgin olive oil, garlic and kosher salt.
That’s it!
It’s such a delicious lettuce-free salad that’s packed with super nutritious ingredients.
Beetroot
First of all, beets. Rich in vitamins, fiber, minerals, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory properties, beets are a nutritional powerhouse. I’m trying to eat more of them, sincethey are in season, and it’s one of my favourite veggies.
Beetroot contains vitamin C, B6, Manganese, Folate, Pottasium, Magnesium and Iron. Also helps to keep blood pressure in check, improves digestive health, brain health and has anti-cancer properties.
They are also so delicious and pretty. Sweet and earthy, with a crisp but soft texture and the most beautiful color.
The addition of cucumbers, parsley, sunflower seeds and lentils, balsamic vinaigrette add to the delicious taste and nutrition of this beet salad.
It’s the perfect Mediterranean Diet recipe, packed with plant-based goodness and dressed in the healthy fats found in extra-virgin olive oil.
How to cook beetroot for Balsamic Beet Cucumber Salad?
As a shortcut, you can use canned beets for this. Canned beets are delicious, and it’s a great way to enjoy them even when they aren’t in season.
But if you want, you can roast or boil your own beets. It’s super easy to do.
Rosating. Just trim the greens off (if they come with them), wash them clean, wrap them in foil individually, drizzled with about a tablespoon of olive oil, and bake for about an hour at 180C.
Boiling. Same as roasting trim the greens off. Add them to a boiling water and simmer for about 30-40 minutes. They should be fork tender and the skin should come off easily.
But that brings me to another point- red beets are VERY red. And they will stain things. If you have marble countertops or other surfaces that are easily stained, be careful. And if you are concerned about your hands getting red, wear gloves. The dye scrubs off after a few washes, but it is kind of a pain.
As an alternative, you can always make this with golden beets! They taste almost identical to red beets, but are far less messy, and are still a gorgeous color.
More recipes with beetroot:
Balsamic Beet Cucumber Salad
Ingredients
- 3-4 small beetroot
- 1 cup cooked lentils
- 3 small cucumbers
- 1 handful chopped parsley
- 1 handful sunflower seeds
Dressing
- 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 clove crushed garlic
- ¾ tsp salt
Instructions
- Boil or roast the beetroot for 30-40 minutes until fork tender.
- Slice beetroot into desired size pieces and add to a bowl.
- Add chopped cucumberss, lentils, sunflower seeds and mix all together.
- Make the dressing mixing all the dressing ingredients and combine with salad. Mix well and enjoy!
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