Quinces are the last golden fruit of autumn: hard and sour when raw, soft and perfumed after a slow time in the oven. Here they meet sweet baked beets, earthy green lentils and a jammy egg, with peppery arugula and toasted walnuts to keep the sweetness in check. A drizzle of olive oil and balsamic, half a lemon on the side, and you have a warm, generous salad for a November table.
Behind the Bite
Quince is rich in pectin, a soluble fiber, and beets are a good source of folate and fiber, so together they bring sweetness that comes with plenty of fiber. Lentils add plant protein and slow carbs, and the egg brings complete protein, so the salad becomes a full meal. Squeeze the lemon generously: its vitamin C helps your body absorb the plant-based iron in the lentils. Walnuts are especially rich in ALA, a plant omega-3, and together with the olive oil they bring the healthy fats.
The Recipe
Preheat the oven to 210°C with ventilation.
Bake the beets
Wash the beets, wrap each one in foil and place them on a baking tray.
Bake for 50–60 minutes, until a knife slides in easily. (Short on time? Use good quality pre-cooked beets and skip this step.)
Bake the quinces
While the beets bake, wash the quinces, cut them in two on the long side and remove the middle part with the seeds.
Brush the cut side with 5 ml of olive oil and place them on a tray lined with baking paper, cut side down. Add the thyme sprigs, if using.
Bake for about 30 minutes, then turn them cut side up and bake for another 15 minutes, until soft and lightly caramelized on the edges.
Chop them in bite-sized chunks.
Cook the lentils
Rinse the lentils and simmer them gently in plenty of water for 20–25 minutes, until tender but still holding their shape. (Puy or green lentils keep their shape best. Short on time? Use 180 grams of good quality canned lentils, drained and rinsed.)
Add a pinch of salt at the end, drain and let them cool slightly.
Toast the walnuts
Use the hot oven to toast the walnuts for 5–6 minutes, until crispy and fragrant.
Let them cool.
Boil the eggs
Bring a small pot of water to a boil and gently lower in the eggs, straight from the fridge.
Cook for 7 minutes for a set white and a soft, golden yolk. (Prefer a fully set yolk? Cook for 9–10 minutes. It's also the safer choice when cooking for someone pregnant, very young or elderly.)
Move them to cold water for a couple of minutes, then peel and cut them in half.
Assemble and serve
Let the beets cool a little, then peel them (the skin slips off easily) and cut them into wedges.
Toss the arugula and the lentils with 10 ml of olive oil and a pinch of salt, and divide between two plates.
Arrange the beets and the quince chunks on top, add the walnuts and place an egg, cut in half, in the middle.
Drizzle with the remaining 10 ml of olive oil and the balsamic vinegar, add a grind of pepper and serve with half a lemon on each plate, ready to be squeezed. Enjoy.
A Word on Technique
One hot oven does three jobs: the beets bake in foil, steaming in their own moisture, the quinces soften and caramelize, and the walnuts toast at the end. Baking the quince plainly, with just a brush of olive oil, lets its natural sugars do the sweetening, so the salad needs no honey at all.
Ratios
The dressing follows the salad dressing ratio of 1 : 2 acid to fat: 10 ml of balsamic vinegar to 20 ml of olive oil. The lemon squeezed at the table adds more brightness, so each plate finds its own balance.
INGREDIENTS
For two servings
ORGANIC OR “BEST YOU CAN GET”
Quinces - 250 grams (about 1 large or 2 small)
Red beets - 300 grams (about 3 medium)
Green or Puy lentils - 70 grams dry
Eggs - 2 ("happy eggs", if you can find them)
Arugula - 100 grams
Walnuts - 20 grams
Lemon - 1 (cut in half, for squeezing)
Balsamic vinegar - 10 ml (about 2 teaspoons)
Extra virgin olive oil - 25 ml (5 ml for the quinces, 20 ml for the salad)
Fresh thyme - 2–3 sprigs (optional)
A pinch of salt
A grind of pepper
Nutrition Facts (per portion, estimated)
Energy ~ 516 kcal,
Proteins 21 g, Fats 24 g, Carbs 61 g,
Fibers 12 g, Cholesterol 186 mg
