Hello! Today, I'm here with a copycat recipe for lentil, beetroot and feta salad which is served in The Real Greek restaurant chain in the UK. This cold meze is delicious, refreshing, but most importantly healthy & very easy to make!
What I really like about this Greek lentil salad, is that it is packed with colors and flavours, yet it's filling and nutritious.
You can serve it as a light lunch or as a starter before dinner.
This beetroot, lentil and feta salad makes a great addition to your dinner party too. Your guests will be amazed by how light and delicate it is!
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What do you need to make this lentil, beetroot and feta salad?
The salad consists mainly of typical pantry ingredients:
- Dried dark green lentils are the key ingredient in this salad. You can also find them in shops under the name lentilles vertes or green speckled lentils (puy type). These lentils are a great source of protein and fiber. They cook fast even without pre-soaking. Always check the instructions on the packet before cooking to make sure you get the timing right.
- Beetroot gives this salad beautiful color and rich taste. You can use either cooked beetroot or pickled beetroot. Drain it at least a few minutes before adding it to the salad, so that it doesn't color it too much.
- Feta cheese provides this cold meze with creaminess and a slightly salty taste. Feel free to use a block of Greek-style salad cheese or cubes (drained). In this recipe, I use full-fat feta cheese which has got more flavour. However, you can swap it for a low-fat version if you prefer!
- The salad's dressing is made of mixture of lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil.
- On top of the salad goes freshly chopped dill which gives the typical grassy and lemony aroma. If you cannot get hold of fresh dill, you can add dried dill directly into the salad when adding the lemon juice and olive oil dressing.
What to serve with this Greek beet salad?
This salad goes very well with a freshly baked flatbread such as gyro pita bread.
I've included the instructions on how to make Greek-style pita bread in the recipe because I think that nothing beats a perfect homemade flatbread!
The recipe for Mediterranean pita bread is also simple, and to your advantage, it can be made a day in advance (and reheated later)!
However, if you want to save a little bit of time on the preparation, then, of course, feel free to use shop-bought bread instead. But I did warn you it's not as nice as the fresh one!
How to store this lentil and beetroot salad?
This lentil Greek salad can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.
I recommend keeping all parts of it stored in separate containers and putting them together just before serving. This is to prevent the beetroot from coloring the rest of the salad (it will turn pinkish after a while).
Also, it is always good to add any fresh herbs just before serving - this way, they will look fresh for longer.
This Greek salad (meze) is intended for immediate consumption. It is not suitable for freezing.
Made this recipe? Share your picture on Instagram and tag @markieskitchencom & use the hashtag #markieskitchencom so I can see it!
📖 The Recipe
Greek lentil, feta and beetroot salad
Ingredients
For the salad
- 200 g dried dark green lentils
- 160 g feta cheese or Greek-style salad cheese chilled
- 240 g cooked beetroot or pickled beetroot drained and chilled
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- juice of 1 lemon save some for serving
- 1 handful fresh chopped dill
For the pita bread
- 7 g fast action (instant) dried yeast (1 sachet)
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- 335 ml lukewarm water (40C)
- 500 g strong white bread flour or plain/all purpose flour plus some for dusting
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon rock salt
- 100 ml sunflower or vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- Cook the lentils according to instructions on the packet. Drain and set aside to cool down.
In the meantime, prepare the bread:
- In a large mixing bowl mix dried yeast, sugar and lukewarm water. Leave in a warm spot for about 10 mins until it becomes bubbly and frothy.
- In another bowl, mix together flour, rock salt and olive oil. Add this to the mix of water and yeast.
- Using your hands, knead everything together for about 5 to 10 minutes until you get an elastic and sticky dough.
- Make a rounded dough ball, leave it at the bottom of the mixing bowl. Cover with a clean and wet tea towel and leave in a warm spot until it doubles in size.
- Once the pita bread dough has risen, knead it on a dusted surface for about a minute. Cut the dough in half and each half into 4-5 portions (you will get 8-10 portions in total).
- On a dusted surface, roll each of the dough portions so that it is about 3mm thick.
- In a large frying pan, add about 1 ½ tablespoon sunflower/vegetable oil and set on medium-high heat. When hot, add first rolled pita bread and fry for about 2-3 minutes each side until slightly brown on top. Take off the heat and set aside. Repeat with the remaining portions of bread.
Finish off the salad:
- Add the cooked and cooled lentils into a large mixing bowl. Add olive oil and lemon juice and toss thoroughly.
- Cut the beetroot and feta cheese into bite-sized dices.
Just before serving:
- Serve the lentils with beetroot and feta cheese on top. Sprinkle with fresh chopped dill and a squeeze of lemon juice.
- Enjoy with a freshly baked pita bread on side!
Notes
- When using yeast, make sure you don't add anything too hot to the dough. Hot temperatures kill off the yeast and the dough won't rise.
- Sometimes it can be too cold indoors for the dough to rise fast. I often put it in a cold (closed) oven where it rises relatively quick.
- fresh dill for dried dill - add this to the dressing made of lemon juice and olive oil
- strong white bread flour for plain/all-purpose flour
Ronit
The salad looks so tasty. Great combination of ingredients. 🙂
Markie
Thank you very much Ronit! It does taste lovely. Credit goes to the team at The RG, by whom the salad is inspired.
Let me know if you were about to try it 🙂