Sweet roasted beets, fennel and onion + chewy farro + al dente lentils + fresh herbs + crunchy toasted hazelnuts + creamy maple tahini dressing. Grain salads have always been a go-to meal for me and they are ALL about the dressing/sauce. This maple tahini dressing is slightly sweet, salty, creamy, and bright. Be sure to squeeze plenty of fresh lemon juice over top and sprinkle of salt. You can easily substitute your favorite roasted veggies and your grain of choice.
Ingredient highlight
Beetroot! is high in folic acid, fiber, manganese, and potassium. They also contain nitrates that our body converts into nitric oxide, which dilates our blood vessels and increases circulation. Endurance athletes love beets!
Servings 4 PeopleIngredients
- 1 cup farro or about 2 cups cooked
- ½ cup french green lentils or 1 ½ cups cooked
- 2 beets, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes about 1 lb
- 2 fennel bulbs, cored, halved lengthwise, and sliced ¼” thick
- ½ red onion, sliced into wedges optional
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt, divided
- ½ cup chopped parsley
- ⅓ cup toasted hazelnuts, walnuts or almonds
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges.
For the Maple Tahini Dressing (makes 1 ½ cups):
- ½ cup tahini
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- ¾ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450F or 425F convection. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Cook the farro and lentils if you don’t have them prepped. Add farro to a medium pot and add water to cover by 2-inches. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through. For the lentils, add them to a medium pot and add enough water to cover by 2-inches. Bring to a boil, then simmer very gently for 10-12 minutes, or until lentils are tender but not mushy. Drain each and set aside.
- Add beets to one baking sheet and fennel + onion (if using) to the other. Drizzle each with 1 tablespoon olive oil and ¼ teaspoon salt and toss to coat. Place on the middle and bottom racks and bake for 15 minutes, or until fennel is browned and charred in spots and beets are tender, switching the baking sheets halfway through.
- Add all tahini dressing ingredients to a medium bowl and whisk thoroughly to combine (it will turn creamy I promise). If too thin, whisk in a bit more tahini. If too thick, whisk in some water. Taste and add more salt, lemon, or maple, if needed. Dressing will thicken as it sits and cools in the fridge. Stir some water in to thin it out.
- Add farro, lentils, and roasted veggies to a bowl. Drizzle with the tahini dressing. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and top with toasted nuts, parsley, and a squeeze of lemon.
Items you can prep ahead (optional)
- Cook ½ cup lentils
- Cook 1 cup farro
- Make the maple tahini dressing
- Prep and roast the beets/fennel/onion (if using)
Substitutions
- To make gluten-free, substitute brown rice or quinoa for the farro OR skip the farro all together and cook an extra 1/2 cup lentils.
- We’ve been using fennel a lot lately, so if you want something different, you can roast any vegetables here, but I LOVE roasted fennel so I recommend trying it!
- Add in some chopped hearty kale or radicchio to turn it into more of a leafy salad.
- Add some shredded chicken to amp up the protein
Storage
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Leftovers + repurposing
- This salad is best when it’s a little warm, so warm up leftover farro, lentils, and veggies before drizzle all over with the sauce + toppings.
- Tahini dressing thickens in the fridge, so just stir in some water if that happens and be sure to taste it!
- Squeeze lots of fresh lemon juice over top to wake it up!
- Turn it into more of a leafy salad by adding chopped kale or radicchio.
- Make it heartier by serving with grilled chicken, steak, or baked fish.
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