recipe courtesy Bobby Flay

 

4 cups mixed greens                                        

 4 slices goat cheese
3 medium Beets, red or gold                            

 French bread, for serving 

 

Lentils:  

1 medium Spanish onion, quartered                  

1 carrot, quartered
1 stalk celery, quartered                                   

1 fresh or dry bay leaf
4 sprigs fresh thyme                                         

4 cups chicken stock
1 1/4 cups dried French green lentils                

Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 TBSP olive oil                                              

1/4 pound slab bacon, diced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped                          

1 small carrot, peeled and finely diced
2 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme leaves            

1 TBSP sherry vinegar

Sherry Vinaigrette:

1/4 cup sherry vinegar                                      

2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme                               

1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper                           

1/2 cup olive oil

Begin by roasting the beets. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

3 medium beets scrubbed, leaves trimmed. Coat beets lightly with oil. Wrap beets in aluminum foil, place on a baking sheet, and roast in the oven until cooked through, approximately 45 to 60 minutes. Remove from the oven, let cool for 10 minutes, and then peel and slice into 1/4-inch thick slices.

Lentils:

Tie onion, carrot, celery, bay leaf, and thyme sprigs together in cheesecloth. Place chicken stock in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir in the lentils, season with salt and pepper, and reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the lentils are tender, about 20 minutes. Drain well and discard the cheesecloth bag of aromatics.
Sherry Vinaigrette:

Whisk together the vinegar, mustard, thyme and salt and pepper in a small bowl. Slowly drizzle in the oil and whisk until emulsified.
Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until lightly golden brown. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a dish lined with paper towels. Add the garlic and carrot to the pan and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the cooked lentils and bacon to the pan and stir to combine. Stir in the chopped thyme and 1 tablespoon of sherry vinegar. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Keep warm.
To assemble, place the salad mix in a large bowl, toss with half of the vinaigrette, and season with salt and pepper. Arrange the roasted beets around the outside of 4 dinner plates. Divide the greens among each plate in the center. Top the greens with some of the warm lentils and place a slice of the goat cheese on top. Drizzle each salad with the remaining vinaigrette. Serve with slices of French bread.