Everything about this dish is so amazing! I can't even describe how much I love it! I think the best part by far is the pistachio butter on the bottom; every bite you take you get a little scoop of that with the lentils and beets and it really brings the whole dish together. There are so many delicious flavors and that work harmoniously together to create this dish.
I will admit the recipe for this may seem a little bit long and there are a couple moving parts but I promise it is totally worth it! If there is something on here that you don't have, you can easily swap them out for what you have on hand. For example, try using kale or beet greens instead of Swiss chard. Or swap out the pistachios for pine nuts, or walnuts. I had purple beets when I made this but I also think it would look amazing if you used different colored beets as well!
This dish is great if you make the slaw, lentils and pistachio butter ahead of time and then when you're ready, just cook the chard and toss in the lentils. If you didn't want to make the lentils and chard you could opt to only make the slaw and pistachio butter. I chose to add the lentils in to make it more of a well rounded meal. I hope you enjoy!
Beet Slaw with Lentils, Sautéed Chard and Pistachio Butter
Yield: 4 Servings
Slaw:
2 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
½ c. golden raisins
2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 lb. fresh beets, peeled
Juice from ½ of a lemon
½ c. fresh, flat leaf parsley
¼ c. fresh, mint leaves
Salt to taste
Olive oil
Pistachio Butter:
1 c. pistachios, toasted
1/3 c. water
1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
3 tbsp. olive oil
Lentils and Sautéed Chard:
1 c. green lentils
2 c. water
1 bay leaf
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 bunch of swiss chard, rinsed and roughly chopped
Juice from ½ of a lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional topping:
¼ c. Crumbled goat cheese
Directions:
Lentils
1. Rinse lentils in a strainer and remove any debris or shriveled lentils.
2. Put lentils in a small sauce pot with 2 cups of water and bay leaf.
3. Bring water to a simmer over medium-high heat and then reduce to medium low and allow to gently simmer uncovered for 20-30 minutes.
4. Once the lentils are cooked (they should be tender and not crunchy) strain the lentils, remove the bay leaf. Return to saucepan and set aside.
Slaw
1. In a medium sized bowl, combine the garlic, raisins and vinegar and allow to sit for at least 30 minutes.
2. The beets can either be cut on the thick wholes of a box grater, or cut into a small julienne (matchstick size pieces) using a mandolin or by hand.
3. After the raisins and garlic have soaked for 30 minutes, remove and discard the garlic. In the same bowl, add in the beets, lemon juice, parsley and mint (reserve a little bit to finish with at the end). Finish with 3 tbsp. of olive oil
4. Mix together and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper according to preference.
5. Place in the refrigerator and let flavors marinate while preparing the rest of the components.
Pistachio Butter
1. In a food processor, place the pistachios in and process on high until as small as possible.
2. With the food processor still running, slowly pour in the water, vinegar and salt. Continue to blend until smooth.
3. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil and adjust seasoning with salt and vinegar. This can be stored in the refrigerator for about a week.
Sautéed Chard and Lentils
1. In large sauté pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add in onions and sauté until translucent.
2. Next add the garlic and swiss chard to the pan. Cook the swiss chard until wilted and fairly soft in texture.
3. Add in the cooked lentils and stir to combine. Turn off the heat.
4. Finish with a squeeze of lemon and a pinch or two of salt.
Putting it all together
1. On a plate or shallow bowl. Spread a layer of the pistachio butter around the dish.
2. Place a spoonful of chard and lentils on top of that and top it all off with the beet slaw.
3. Garnish with remaining herbs and a small sprinkle of goat cheese.
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