Are you a flexitarian? Then this recipe is for you

This is a pretty special dish for anyone following a plant-based diet. The beetroots are both beautiful to look at and delicious to eat!

Vegan Roasted Heritage Beetroots with Green Lentils & Balsamic Dressing

Serves 4

Ingredients
1 kg mixed heritage beetroots
3 red onions, cut into wedges
250g sliced chestnut mushrooms
3 tbsp olive oil
5-6 fresh rosemary sprigs, chopped
400g tin green lentils
freshly chopped mixed green herbs (dill, chives, parsley), to serve

For the balsamic dressing
6 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp good-quality balsamic vinegar
1 tsp caster sugar
1 garlic clove, finely grated

Method
Preheat the oven to 190°C/gas mark 5.

Peel the beetroots and cut them into wedges. Arrange them over the base of a sheet pan. Add the onions to the pan and scatter the mushrooms evenly over the top. Drizzle with olive oil and scatter over the chopped rosemary. Roast for about 45-50 minutes, until the beetroots are soft.

Drain and rinse the lentils and spoon them onto the sheet pan. Return the pan to the oven for 5 minutes, until the lentils are heated through.

Mix the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, sugar and garlic together. Remove the pan from the oven, drizzle over the dressing, scatter over the freshly chopped herbs and serve warm, or at room temperature.

Vegetarian alternative: Roasted Beetroot with Puy Lentils, Blue Cheese & Balsamic Dressing
Roast the beetroot as main recipe. Substitute Puy lentils for green lentils and add 200g firm vegetarian blue cheese (like Roquefort or Gorgonzola in style). Cut it into cubes and scatter pieces over the finished dish whilst still warm so it turns molten with the heat.

Extracted from The Flexitarian Cookbook: Adaptable Recipes for Part-time Vegetarians and Vegans (Ryland Peters & Small, approx €16.50).