This hearty and flavorful grilled beet and fennel salad recipe with sprouted lentils is accented with a schmear of plant-based orange and cumin-scented coconut yogurt.

2018 is here!

I hope it’s off to a great start. I thought I’d kick off a new year of recipes with something healthy yet hearty and satisfying for those of you who are tackling a new year’s resolution.

Or if you simply need a little reset after the holiday splurge fest.

Or if you just want to eat something fresh and delicious made with peak winter produce.

Hey, or all of the above! This Grilled Beet and Fennel Salad is for you.

Why this Grilled Beet and Fennel Salad Recipe will be your new favorite vegan side dish: 

• It’s a spectacular vegan dish that’s easy enough to make on a weeknight but fancy enough to serve at a dinner party.
•  The heat of the grill pan brings out the earthy sweetness of the fennel and beets, with an added hint of smoky flavor.
• Sprouted lentils, fennel fronds, and flaky black lava salt make for a gorgeous presentation.

You may have had grilled fennel before.

I feel like it’s common practice for fennel salads and side dishes to grill the fennel. That way, it takes on a charred and caramelized goodness like onions do when grilled.

Grilled beets, however, aren’t as much of a thing, but they totally need to become a thing. They take this hearty winter vegetable salad to the next level.

My original Grilled Beet and Fennel salad recipe uses dollops of burrata as salad toppings.

While it’s seriously SO GOOD and I think you should also try it that way sometime, this plant-based version made with a layer of cumin and orange scented coconut yogurt on the bottom is everything.

Especially if you’re avoiding dairy.

My Grilled Beet and Fennel salad recipe gets a couple of other flourishes in the form of sprouted lentils, fennel fronds, and flaky black lava salt.

A word on coconut yogurt: 

You must take my advice and try it with CoYo’s plain coconut yogurt- it’s made with coconut and active cultures and that’s it!

It’s as thick and rich as Greek yogurt, and ever since my client Liz turned me on to it a few weeks ago, between the two of us we’ve been cleaning out the local stock.

If you can’t find CoYo, Greek yogurt, creme fraiche or even a spreadable cashew cheese would be fantastic alternatives.

How to choose the best beets: 

• When picking your beets, look for smooth, hard, round ones with an unbruised surface free of cuts.
• Avoid beets with soft, moist spots or shriveled skin.
• The taproot, which extends from the bulbous part of the beet, should be slender.
• If your beets come with the leaves attached, you want to look for small, crisp, and dark green leaves. If the beets have them removed, be sure that at least a 1/2 inch of the stems and 2 inches of the taproot remain. Otherwise, the color will bleed from the beets as they cook.

How to choose fennel: 

• Look for fennel bulbs with smooth, white skin. There should be no brown spots whatsoever.
• Choose smallish, firm and rather young fennel for this fennel salad recipe. If the fennel is too large or old, it might be too dry and taste leathery.
• If you find that the outer pieces of the fennel bulb are a bit stringy, simply remove them. The inner layers will be just fine.
• Don’t throw away the stems. They can be added to fish soups and stews.

How to steam beets: 

For steaming the beets, start by scrubbing them clean with a kitchen brush. Place them in a steamer basket and cook for about 30 minutes or until tender all the way through.

Once the steamed beets are cool enough to handle, rub the skins off and slice them into 1/2 inch rounds.

Variations on this Beet and Fennel Salad recipe: 

• For a delicious non-vegan version, top the salad with dollops of burrata cheese.
• You can use Greek Yogurt for a non-vegan version, or any other plant-based yogurt instead of coconut yogurt.
• If you cannot find sprouted lentils at your grocery store, you can either sprout them at home or use cooked lentils.

More winter salad recipes to try

• Caramelized Endive Salad with Clementines
• Winter Citrus Salad with Fennel
• Winter Romaine Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette

Thanks for reading! To keep up with me in the kitchen, follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest. If you make this Grilled Beet and Fennel Salad Recipe, please share it using the hashtag #LePetitEats!

5 from 6 votes

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Grilled Beet and Fennel Salad

This hearty and flavorful grilled beet and fennel salad with sprouted lentils is accented with a schmear of plant-based orange and cumin-scented yogurt.

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Keyword beet and fennel salad, fennel salad recipe, grilled beets recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 4 people

Calories 200 kcal

Author Denisse

Ingredients

• 1 cup plain coconut yogurt or Greek yogurt or plain plant-based yogurt
• zest of 1 orange
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4-5 beets steamed (see notes), peeled and cut into 1/2 inch rounds
• 2 fennel bulbs trimmed and cut into 1/2 inch thick slices
• 1/4 cup sprouted lentils
• Fennel fronds
• Black lava salt optional

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, stir together coconut yogurt, orange zest, cumin, salt and pepper. Set aside.
2. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Brush with oil and grill fennel and beet slices, in batches, for about 2-3 minutes per side. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
3. Spread a thin layer of yogurt onto a platter. Top with grilled fennel, grilled beets and sprouted lentils. Drizzle with olive oil and garnish with black lava salt and fennel fronds.

Recipe Notes

How to steam beets: 

For steaming the beets, start by scrubbing them clean with a kitchen brush. Place them in a steamer basket and cook for about 30 minutes or until tender all the way through.

Once the steamed beets are cool enough to handle, rub the skins off and slice them into 1/2 inch rounds.

  Craving more healthy recipes?

Winter Romaine Salad

Warm Kale and Delicata Squash Salad

Broccoli Salad with Crispy Shallots and Coconut Bacon

Charred Broccolini with Tahini Yogurt Spread