Vegan Pink Pickled Turnip and Lentil Salad

This bright and colourful pink pickled turnip salad is packed with fresh flavours, and gets an extra protein punch from the lentils.

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Vegan Pink Pickled Turnip and Lentil Salad

This bright and colourful salad is packed with fresh flavours, and gets an extra protein punch from the lentils.

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With wholesome lentils and vibrant pink pickled turnips, this vegan salad is sure to leave you feeling happy and nourished!

The sweet and warming cumin-spiced dressing really brings this Middle Eastern-inspired dish together.

What are pink pickled turnips?

Pink pickled turnips are a staple in Middle Eastern cuisine and are often served as an accompaniment to meals.

They get their vibrant pink colour from beetroot, which is pickled in the same jar as the turnips. This pickled beetroot can also be eaten, but it won’t have the same satisfying crunch as the turnips.

Our recipe below yields two portions of salad, but you should have plenty of pink pickled turnips left over to try with other things, or just munch them straight from the jar!

Should I use green or brown lentils?

Both types of lentil will work in this salad but there are differences between the two, so you can choose based on your preferences.

Green lentils have a harder exterior and will hold their shape better, while brown lentils are softer – which may provide a more pleasant texture for some.

Nutritionally, Green lentils tend to have a higher protein content, while brown lentils are higher in fibre.

Prep Time: 20 minutes (plus 2-3 hours to pickle the turnips)

Servings: 2

Servings: 2

Ingredients

Method

Ingredients

(Servings: 2)

  • For the pink pickled turnips
  • 180 180 ml water
  • 1 1 bay leaves
  • 30 30 ml white vinegar
  • 0.25 0.25 tbsp sugar
  • 0.5 0.5 beetroot, grated
  • 0.5 0.5 clove garlic, roughly chopped
  • 112.5 112.5 g turnips, peeled and cut into batons
  • For the dressing
  • 0.5 0.5 tbsp lemon juice
  • 0.5 0.5 tbsp wholegrain mustard
  • 0.5 0.5 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 0.5 0.5 tsp ground cumin
  • 0.5 0.5 clove garlic, puréed
  • For the salad
  • 0.5 0.5 400g tin lentils, drained
  • 0.5 0.5 red onion, finely sliced
  • 50 50 g cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 75 75 g rocket leaves

Method

For the pink pickled turnips:

  1. Place the turnips into a jar. Then, add the water, bay leaves, vinegar, sugar, beetroot and garlic to a saucepan and bring to the boil.
  2. Once the pickling liquid is boiling, pour it over the turnips in the jar and leave for 2-3 hours to cool and pickle.

For the salad:

  1. Add the lemon, wholegrain mustard, maple syrup, olive oil, cumin, and garlic into a bowl and whisk together to make the dressing.
  2. Mix together the lentils, onion, cherry tomatoes, rocket leaves and add the dressing.
  3. Top the salad with the pickled turnips.

Nutritional information per serving (807g): Calories 515, Fat 16g, Saturates 2.2g, Carbohydrate 72g, Sugars 26g, Fibre 22g, Protein 25g, Salt 0.69g

 

Serve up your leftover pickled turnips with this Lebanese Buddha Bowl!

Written by

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