If you’re looking for a way to use up the leftover beef from your roast dinner, give this warm beef and lentil salad a go.
It’s simple to make (perfect if you don’t have the time for a Leftover Beef Cottage Pie) and you can use up the bits and pieces that are leftover from your roast.
It has a delicious honey mustard dressing that goes PERFECTLY with the beef, and the lentils and salad are light enough if you don’t fancy something really heavy after your indulgent meal.
This is protein packed and so tasty – in fact, if you prepped this at the weekend after your dinner, it would make fantastic lunches throughout the week (you can eat it cold, too).
Looking for more ways to use your roast dinner leftovers? Why not try:
- Chicken: Leftover Roast Chicken, Leek and Mushroom Filo Pie, Chicken Nacho Salad, Chicken and Pea Risotto, Chicken and Lentil Soup, Creamy Chicken and Bacon Pasta
- Beef: Leftover Beef Cottage Pie
- Ham: Leftover Ham Pie, Leek and Ham Pasta, Turkey and Ham Lasagne
- Lamb: Leftover Lamb Shepherds Pie
- Duck: Hoisin Duck Stir Fry, Duck Fried Rice
The Ingredients
- Baby carrots – I love little baby carrots and think they give any dish the ‘wow’ factor. However, you absolutely could use normal carrots. Just cut into bite size pieces. You could also use leftover roast carrots from your Sunday roast, just warm up in the oven rather than roasting as per the recipe.
- Leftover roast beef – cut your beef into bite size chunks and heat in the oven until sizzling for this salad. If you don’t have any leftover roast beef and still want to make this salad, just fry up some stir fry steak and use that.
- Cooked puy lentils – as a get ahead when I’m busy, I like to use pouches of microwaveable puy lentils. They take a minute to heat up in the microwave and are perfect for this recipe.
- Salad leaves – use any you like. Peppery ones work well – I used a selection of watercress, rocket and spinach.
- Runny honey, English mustard, red wine vinegar and olive oil – these ingredients make your sweet, spicy, sharp dressing and it works BEAUTIFULLY with beef.
Warm Beef and Lentil Salad
A delicious beef and lentil salad made with leftover roast beef and a honey mustard dressing.
Start Cooking in Cook Mode
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 300 grams baby carrots
- 600 grams leftover roast beef
- 500 grams cooked puy lentils warm
- 100 grams salad leaves e.g. watercress, rocket, spinach
For the dressing
- 3 tablespoons runny honey
- 1 teaspoon English mustard
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C. Put the carrots in a roasting dish and toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Put in the oven for 20 minutes.
- Cut the beef into bite size pieces. After the carrots have been in the oven for 20 minutes, add the beef and cook for another 10 minutes.
- Make the dressing by whisking together the honey, mustard, vinegar and oil in a bowl.
- When the beef and carrots are done, tip them into a large bowl along with any cooking juices. Add the lentils and dressing and stir.
- To serve, pile the salad into bowls and top with salad leaves.
Top Tips
- Use your leftovers This is a flexible recipe – you can add in many of your leftover meats and vegetables. It also works well with leftover chicken instead of (or as well as) beef.
- Get ahead This is a perfect recipe for prepped lunches. When you’ve had it warm the first time, store in the fridge and eat chilled after that. It will be good for 4 days.
- Cooking the beef Because we are reheating leftover beef here, it’s important to cook it through – so if you had pink roast beef, it will be browned here. It’ll still be delicious though!
