This substantial salad brings together the comfort of warm, honey-roasted vegetables and earthy lentils with sharp cheese and a bright citrus dressing. A piquant cheese like blue stilton or tangy feta work perfectly to balance the citrus and caramelised honey flavours.

This dish benefits from using both cooked and raw honey. Roasting with a little honey brings rich caramelised flavours and colours to the vegetables and finishing the dish with a drizzle of uncooked honey balances the earthy and sharp flavours. Use your best honey for serving, then you won’t lose any of the floral notes through cooking.

Serves:     4–6                     Preparation:   50 minutes

Ingredients
300g     Beetroot
300g     Carrots
300g     Parsnips
5tbsp    Olive oil
2 tsp      Cumin seeds
1 tbsp   Honey + extra to drizzle
300g     Lentils (Puy or Beluga)
1–2       Lemons
1            Garlic clove, crushed
200g     Blue cheese, crumbled
150g     Walnuts
20-30g Fresh parsley

Tip:   Prepare everything in advance, then combine the vegetables and lentils with the dressing and cheese at the last minute.

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C Fan (or 200°C).
   
   
2. Prepare the vegetables, scrubbing or peeling as necessary and chop into even chunks, approximately 2cm square.
   
   
3. Toss the vegetables with half of the oil (2–3 tbsp), 1 tbsp honey, cumin seeds and seasoning. Bake for 25–35 minutes until soft and the edges begin to crisp and caramelise.
   
   
4. While the vegetables roast, cook the lentils in water or stock until just cooked through. Don’t overcook or stir too frequently (they will start to break apart). Drain and allow to cool.
   
   
5. While the lentils are cooking, make the dressing. Combine the zest and juice of one lemon, the remaining olive oil (2–3 tbsp), 1 crushed clove of garlic and season to taste.
   
   
6. Coat the lentils in the dressing and stir through chopped parsley. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more lemon juice if needed. 
   
   
7. Carefully fold in the roasted vegetables along with the crumbled cheese and chopped walnuts, reserving some cheese and nuts for the top.
   
   
8. Serve the salad and drizzle with a little honey. If you’re serving it for a crowd, use a wide platter so that each spoonful includes the vegetables, cheese, nuts and a taste of honey.