Pickled Beetroot, Sweet Potato and Lentil Salad

A fresh and filling salad

Ingredients

2 sweet potatoes (about 600g/1lb 5oz total weight), peeled and cut into roughly 2cm (3/4in) cubes
2 tblsp sunflower oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
150 g (5oz) puy or other brown lentils
3 tblsp olive oil
1 tblsp red wine vinegar
100 g (31/2oz) pickled beetroot, cut into roughly 2cm (3/4in) cubes
100 g (31/2oz) feta cheese, cut roughly into roughly 2cm (3/4in) cubes
good handful of chopped parsley, to serve

Method

1.Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F), Gas mark 6.
2.Place the sweet potatoes in a bowl, then add the sunflower oil, season with salt and pepper and mix well. Transfer to a roasting tin and roast in the oven for 25–30 minutes, tossing occasionally, until soft and golden. Remove from the oven and set aside.
3.While the sweet potatoes are roasting, cook the lentils. Place in a saucepan and fill with enough water to cover the lentils by 2cm (3/4in). Place on a high heat and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, loosely covered with a lid, for 15–20 minutes or until the lentils are tender.
4.While the lentils are cooking, mix together the olive oil with the red wine vinegar and some salt and pepper to make a dressing. Drain the cooked lentils and while they are still warm, stir in two-thirds of the dressing and taste for seasoning.
5.To assemble the salad, spread the dressed lentils on a serving plate, then scatter over the roasted sweet potatoes along with the cubes of pickled beetroot and feta cheese. Drizzle over the remaining dressing and sprinkle with the chopped parsley, then serve either warm or at room temperature

Source: RTE Recipes