Pickled Onion & Lentil Salad with Beet, Feta, Nuts & Cabbage

There's no getting around it; this is some slow food. It's very, very, easy but it is slow. 

 

First; pickle your onions. 

 

The good news is that this makes about twice as much pickled onion as you will need for the salad, and they will come in handy for other things, and keep well in the fridge for at least a couple of weeks. 

 

Once your onions are pickled you can think about things like cooking your beets and lentils in advance. They need to cool, so maybe we're still not eating this salad until tomorrow. 

 

I thought this was extremely pleasing; the earthy and slightly sweet lentils and beets balanced with tangy onions and feta cheese, and with needed crunch supplied by the nuts and cabbage, made a subtle and harmonious whole. Mr. Ferdzy was less impressed; he thought it was kind of plain. You should probably consider which camp you are likely to fall into before picking up that onion and that knife.

 

4 to 6 servings

1 hour 20 minutes plus 2 days to make the pickled onions

1 hour to cook the beets & lentils

15 minutes to assemble the salad

 

Make the Pickled Onions:

scant 3 cups of sliced red onions

salt

1/2 cup filtered water

1/2 cup white vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

Peel the onions and cut them in half lengthwise. Cut them into half-moon slices, then in half again. Break them up and put them into a strainer, sprinkled generously with salt. Set them aside over a bowl to drain for about an hour. Rinse and drain them well. 

Have a good clean 500 ml (2 cup) canning jar ready; either sterilized or fresh out of the dishwasher (this is NOT long term canning, so while the jar needs to be clean, sterilization is not absolutely required). Heat the water, vinegar and teaspoon of salt until it is hot and the salt is dissolved, but not boiling. While it heats, pack the well-drained onion bits into the jar. Pour enough of the brine over the onions to cover - you may not need all of it, but make sure there are no trapped air bubbles. Close up the jar with a clean ring and lid (used is okay; just make sure it's clean and odour-free). Let sit in a cool place for two days before using; it can be up to a week but put them in the fridge after the first couple of days.

 

Cook the Beets & Lentils:

3 medium (1 1/2 cups diced) beets 

1 cup green or brown lentils

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups water

Put the beets into a pot with plenty of water to cover them. Bring them to a boil and boil for about 45 minutes (or perhaps a little longer) until tender. Drain and let cool. 

Put the lentils, salt, and 2 cups of water into a rice cooker and cook. Remove and let cool. 

Both of these can be cooked up to a day in advance. 

Make the Dressing:

1/4 cup pickled onion brine

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 teaspoon rubbed thyme

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1/3 cup olive oil

 

Mix everything in a small bowl or jam jar and whisk or shake together. 

 

Make the Salad:

2 cups finely shredded cabbage

1 cup walnut pieces, toasted

225 grams (1/2 pound) feta cheese

1 cup pickled onions

 

Wash, trim, and shred the cabbage. Toast the walnut pieces in a dry skillet over medium heat, until lightly browned in spots. Turn out to cool then chop them to about pea-sized. 

 

Peel and finely dice the beets. Put them with the lentils into a large salad bowl. Mix in the cabbage, nuts, and feta cheese. Add 1 cup of the drained pickled onions, and toss with the dressing. 

Last year at this time I made Mr. Ferdzy's Family Pulled Pickled Pork.