Beet salad with lentils

There's one thing you can say about the combination of beets and lentils: When you feel the beet, you can't stop the pulse! Pulse, get it? Yeah, didn't think so.

Anyways: this is a very refreshing and filling vegetarian (and vegan!) dish which can happily serve as a main course. The lentils give it a nutty texture and provide a great deal of protein and fiber, and the potatoes provide enough body to make it into a meal. Since potatoes cook faster than beets, you could experiment with cutting up the beets before cooking. (I happen to like the difference.)

My first try at this used dried green peas and new potatoes. I found that both of these lacked sufficient firmness when cooked to make a satisfying salad. So the version I'm putting below contains the substitutions I plan to make for the next time I do it. As always, feedback is welcome.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 lbs. loose red beets (about six large beets)
• 1 lb. russet potatoes
• 1 lb. dried green lentils (green holds its shape the best)
• Fresh dill, finely chopped
• Balsamic vinegar
• Olive oil

DIRECTIONS:

1. Prepare your beets and potatoes by peeling them and, if you wish, cutting the beets in half so that they'll be softer by the time the potatoes are done.
   
2. Rinse and drain the lentils, then put into a pot with about 3 quarts of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and allow to simmer, covered, for about 30-40 minutes or until lentils are soft but not falling apart. Drain excess water and set aside.
   
3. Simultaneously boil the root vegetables, uncovered, in a separate pot; they will take a little less time than the lentils (maybe 25-30 minutes). You'll want to keep these at a rolling boil.
   
4. When the beets and potatoes are soft, cut them into 3/4" cubes.
5. Combine all vegetables with the dill, plenty of balsamic vinegar (more than you'd think--it soaks it right up), some lemon juice, a dash of olive oil, and a bit of salt.

Serve with chopped red onion, hard boiled eggs, yogurt, whatever you like. Or just eat it plain. That's what I did, accompanied by a glass of giovane that I happened to have around. The sweet, floral tones of the immature red really played nicely with the earthy sweetness of the beets and the dry starchiness of the lentils. Lovely!