How to turn beetroot leaves into a sparky sauce – recipe

The Chef’s Manifesto, a nonprofit food sustainability network, recently helped launch a campaign called Beans is How in a bid to double bean consumption by 2028. Legumes have been identified by nutritionists, agricultural scientists and key leaders as a good choice for both people and the planet, and are affordable, nutritious and low-impact. I’ve been working with LegumeChef, which raises awareness of the benefits of pulses, to come up with suitable whole-food zero-waste recipes, and today’s dish combines earthy lentils, sweet beetroot and sour cheese with a piquant dressing made from the beetroot’s leaves.

Lentils with beetroot leaf chimichurri, roast beets, feta and fennel

I’ve always loved the combination of lentils, beetroots and cheese: each ingredient complements the others so well, from the earthy lentils, sweet beetroot and sour cheese, and also work nutritionally to provide a protein- and vitamin-rich meal.

You will find the freshest bunches of beetroot with full plumes of leaves at a greengrocer or farmers’ market. Yes, some supermarkets do sell them in bunches, too, but because the food chain involved is so much longer, the leaves may already be deteriorating; that’s if they haven’t been removed already, leaving just a few stalks. If that’s the best you can get hold off, pick off the best leaves remaining and any stalks and make up the weight for the chimichurri below with flat-leaf parsley. The stalks will still impart an earthy flavour and beautiful red colour to the sauce. Once made, leave the chimichurri to rest for at least 30 minutes and ideally a few hours: this gives the garlic time to mellow and the colour to come out of the beetroot leaves. It will keep in the fridge for at least a week.

Serves 2 as a main or 6 as a side

For the salad
1 bunch beetroot, ideally with their leaves, washed
Olive oil
Salt and black pepper
240g cooked green lentils (ie, from about 100g dry lentils, cooked, or from 1 x 400g tin, drained)
100g feta or goat’s cheese
Fennel or dill fronds, to finish

For the beetroot leaf chimichurri
40g beetroot leaves (if you don’t have enough, make up the weight with flat-leaf parsley)
3 sprigs fresh oregano (or 1 tsp dried oregano)
3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
1 small red chilli, finely diced (or to taste)
8 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
3 tbsp red-wine vinegar

Cut the beetroot into wedges, toss with a glug of olive oil, season and roast in a 210C (190C fan)/410F/gas 6½ oven for 35 minutes, until slightly charred and tender (ideally cook something else in the oven at the same time, both to save energy and to get ahead with a future meal).

To make the chimichurri, stack the beetroot leaves (and flat-leaf parsley) neatly, then finely chop from stem to leaf. Mix with the oregano,garlic, chilli, extra-virgin olive oil and vinegar, season to taste and leave to rest for at least 30 minutes (see recipe introduction).

Finely chop any remaining beetroot leaves you have left over from the bunch and stir these through the cooked green lentils. Dress the lentils to taste with chimichurri, then transfer to a serving platter. Crumble over the cheese, top with theroast beetroot wedges and serve dressed with a little more chimichurri and a few optional fennel or dill fronds.