Roasted Roots and Lentils with Date and Caper Dressing Recipe

You can mix up the root vegetables in this salad, but carrot and parsnips look great and have an earthy sweetness about them.

Serves

Takes

40 minutes

Plant points:

Ingredients

300 g carrots and parsnips, scrubbed, trimmed and halved lengthways
4 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp ground coriander
1 large echalion shallot, sliced
2 medjool dates, pitted and roughly chopped
2 tbsp non-pareille capers, rinsed
1.–2 tbsp cider vinegar
400-g can cooked beluga lentils, drained
Handful mint leaves, shredded
75 g goat’s cheese, crumbled
Salt and black pepper

Method

Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/425˚F/Gas 7.

Toss the carrots and parsnips with 1 tablespoon oil, the ground coriander and a good pinch of salt. Scatter over a parchment paper-lined roasting tray and roast for 25-30 minutes, turning halfway, until golden and tender.

Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Fry the shallot with a pinch of salt for 5 minutes until softened, then add the dates and capers and fry for a minute more. Splash in the vinegar, then stir in the lentils. Check the seasoning, adding salt and pepper or more vinegar to taste.

Arrange the lentils over plates and top with the roasted roots. Scatter with the mint and goat’s cheese and serve.

Extracted from Crazy Busy Weeknights by Eleanor Maidment, published by Ryland Peters & Small (€23.06) Photography by Carolyn Barber © Ryland Peters & Small

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