I started making this on a Tuesday when I had a bunch of beets from the farmers market sitting on my counter and exactly zero motivation to turn on my full-size oven. That’s honestly how this recipe was born. The sumac gives the beet wedges this tartness that’s almost lemony, and after 30 minutes in a hot toaster oven they get these slightly chewy, caramelized edges that I find genuinely hard to stop eating.
You’ll need a decent toaster oven with enough tray space to spread the beet wedges without overlapping — something like a large toaster oven with convection makes quick work of this. Convection helps dry out the beet surface faster and gets you better caramelization, but it’s not mandatory. A standard bake setting at 425°F still gets you there.
The lentils cook on the stovetop while the beets roast, which is the whole game here — you’re not waiting around. Green or brown lentils hold their shape, which matters when you’re piling them onto something as dramatic-looking as this salad. Red lentils turn to mush, so skip them. The herbed labneh underneath is genuinely one of my favorite things to put on a plate right now: creamy and cooling against the warm, tangy beets. You can use Greek yogurt but labneh is richer and I think it’s worth tracking down.
If you’re cooking this for company, I’d lay everything out family-style on a big platter. It looks impressive with almost no effort. Grab yourself a good toaster oven baking pan with rack if yours is the flimsy kind that came with the machine — the extra airflow underneath makes a real difference for roasting vegetables.
Toaster Oven Crispy Sumac Roasted Beets and Lentil Salad with Herbed Labneh and Toasted Almonds
Earthy roasted beets and warm lentils sit on a swipe of herbed labneh, finished with crunchy toasted almonds and a bright sumac dressing. It's a full meal from your toaster oven — no big oven required.
Ingredients
Roasted Beets
Lentils
Herbed Labneh
Sumac Dressing
To Finish
Instructions
Cook the Lentils
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Combine the rinsed lentils, water, salt, and bay leaf in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes until tender but not falling apart. Drain any excess water, discard the bay leaf, and set aside. You can do this while the beets roast.
Roast the Beets
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Preheat your toaster oven to 425°F on the roast or bake setting. Line your toaster oven tray with foil — beet juice stains, trust me on this.
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Toss the beet wedges with the olive oil, sumac, cumin, salt, and pepper right on the tray. Spread them out in a single layer; crowding them means they'll steam instead of roast, and you want some color on them.
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Roast for 28 to 35 minutes, flipping once around the 18-minute mark, until the edges are a little caramelized and a fork slides through easily. Timing varies a lot by toaster oven, so start checking at 25 minutes.
Toast the Almonds
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Scatter the slivered almonds on a small piece of foil and slide them into the toaster oven for 3 to 4 minutes while the beets finish up. They go from pale to burnt fast — stay close and pull them as soon as they smell nutty and turn golden.
Make the Herbed Labneh and Dressing
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Stir together the labneh, mint, parsley, garlic, olive oil, and salt in a small bowl. Taste it — you might want a tiny extra pinch of salt.
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Whisk together all the dressing ingredients in a separate small bowl or shake them in a jar. The pomegranate molasses gives it a gentle sweetness that plays really well against the earthy beets.
Assemble
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Spoon the herbed labneh across the bottom of a large platter or divide it among four shallow bowls. Toss the warm lentils with about two-thirds of the dressing and pile them over the labneh.
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Arrange the roasted beet wedges on top, drizzle everything with the remaining dressing, then scatter over the toasted almonds and fresh mint. Finish with a light dusting of sumac. Serve right away while the beets are still warm.
Notes
Beet wedges can be roasted up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated — just warm them in the toaster oven at 375°F for about 5 minutes before serving. Lentils keep well too, up to 4 days in the fridge. The assembled salad doesn't hold great, so I'd store everything separately and put it together when you're ready to eat. If you can't find labneh, thick full-fat Greek yogurt works fine; just drain it in a cheesecloth-lined strainer for 30 minutes to firm it up a bit. Red beets are the classic choice here but golden beets are also fantastic and a lot less dramatic on your cutting board.
Nutrition
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Written by
Emma is a home cook who loves coaxing big flavor out of a toaster oven — from crispy roasted vegetables to easy weeknight dinners and sweet treats. She develops and tests Toastera's recipes for small-appliance kitchens.
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