Salads are not just for summer! Try this vibrant satisfying seasonal salad, which combines seasonal fruit (blood oranges and pomegranates), with roasted tender baby carrots, peppery rocket, aniseedy fennel, crunchy nuts, earthy lentils and tart and tangy goldenberries. I have paired this fresh fruity salad with a light zingy orange, apple cider vinegar dressing to complement these flavours.

By roasting your veggies and mixing it up with raw veg, nor only are you getting the best nutritionally, but also a range of flavours and textures.

This nourishing cheery salad will brighten up your dinner table and is a perfect one for the festive season to accompany cold cuts or vegan alternatives.

For those of you not keen on fennel, you could always substitute for celery or apple sliced up finely. To make this recipe even quicker to prepare I have used ready to eat Beluga lentils, but you could always soak your own if you prefer.

Serves: 2

Preparation time: 30 mins (mostly roasting time!)

Ingredients:

• 14 baby carrots
• 1/2 tbsp. rapeseed oil
• ½ tbsp. maple syrup or honey (if non-vegan)
• 1/3 fennel bulb sliced finely (or 5 sticks of celery hearts or 1 large apple)
• 2 blood oranges
• Small bunch of fresh coriander
• 180g Beluga lentils (I used ready prepared)
• 30g pomegranate seeds
• 30g rocket leaves
• 30g walnut halves
• 35g dried goldenberries

For the dressing:

• Juice from 1 blood orange
• ½ tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1-1.5 tsp. maple syrup or honey (if non-vegan) or coconut sugar
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Optional: 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil (I quite like making this salad oil-free, but olive oil lovers may want to add!)

Method:

1. In a roasting tin, coat your baby carrots with rapeseed oil and maple syrup or honey and bake for 22-25 mins at 185ºC. (If you have an air fryer, this will take less time, about 18-20 mins).
2. Whilst waiting, slice up the fennel (or celery or apple) finely. If using apple, coat with a squeeze of orange juice from one of the blood oranges to keep it from browning.
3. Peel and finely slice the blood oranges into discs. Set aside.
4. Finely chop the fresh coriander. Set aside.
5. In a small bowl, mix together all the salad dressing ingredients. Set aside.
6. In a large bowl, mix together the Beluga lentils, pomegranate seeds, rocket leaves, walnut halves and dried goldenberries. Once ready, add the roasted carrots and evenly coat with the orange dressing. Serve and enjoy!

Don’t forget you can find my favourite recipes in my FREE eBook here.