Beetroot, lentil & feta salad

A hearty salad spiked with mint, lemon and chilli

Happy New Year! I'm finally getting back in the swing of things after a lovely, if slightly hectic, Christmas break. And that includes cooking. You won't find me spending January depriving myself but I'm definitely ready for a change of pace in my eating after all the festivities 😊 And I always find the new year a good time for pottering around the kitchen, trying out new ideas. I got a whole stack of recipe books for Christmas, so watch this space.

Beetroot is a funny thing. I always used to think I should like it more than I actually did, but this year I've been playing around with different salad ideas to see what works. And I think this one hits the spot. The lentils are optional but definitely make it a more filling, satisfying lunch. The combination of mint, spring onion, lemon and chilli really lifts the earthy flavours of the beetroot, lentils and spinach. I used a vacuum pack of ready cooked beetroot for ease (the plain sort, not the kind in vinegar!) None of the quantities here need be very precise, so do adjust to your own taste. A great side dish or add a chunk of crusty bread to make a fine lunch.

Wash and chop some spinach leaves and place in a bowl. Top with tinned green lentils and wedges of beetroot and scatter over finely chopped spring onion, mint and chilli (fresh chilli would be fab but I used a pinch of chilli flakes which worked fine.) Make a quick dressing with Dijon mustard, lemon juice and olive oil and drizzle a little over the top then finish by crumbling over some feta cheese. Eat quickly before it all goes pink!