Roast Beetroot with Goat’s Cheese and Lentils Recipe

Beetroot main course with goat's cheese

Yield: 6 Preparation Time: Cooking Time:

This recipe offers a mixture of textures, sharpness and sweetness and is ideal served as a starter or light meal for vegetarians and meat lovers alike.

Ingredients

8 medium-sized beetroot
2 small garlic cloves, thinly sliced
10 cherry tomatoes, halved
200g goats' cheese, soft curd or cream cheese
1 tablespoon juniper berries
1 tablespoon star anise
200g Puy lentils
200ml white wine
3 tablespoons olive oil
Coarse sea salt
1 tablespoon cardamom pods, lightly crushed
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
15-20 mint leaves, left whole
Small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
Small bunch of mint, finely chopped
Salt and black pepper

Recipe Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180C.

Cook the beetroot.
Scatter the base of a baking tray with the salt and spices and lay the beetroots on top. Drizzle over a tablespoon of olive oil and bake in the oven for 1 hour until they are tender. Remove them from the oven and set them aside to cool. Once cool, peel the beetroot and cut them into small chunks. Cover them to keep them warm.

Prepare the lentils.
This can be done while the beetroot is roasting. Cook the lentils in a pan in equal parts of white wine and water, the garlic and the remaining olive oil. Cook for about 20 minutes then remove them from the heat and drain off any excess liquid. Set them aside for 5 minutes to cool then add the tomatoes, parsley, chopped mint and seasoning.

Make the dressing.

Whisk all the ingredients together well.

Serve.
Lay out a little of the lentils on each plate and add a few whole mint leaves. Crumble over the goat’s cheese and finish it off with the warm beetroot cubes. Drizzle over the dressing and eat while still warm.