Warm lentil salad with beets, blue cheese, and honey balsamic vinaigrette

Lentils:
1 onion, peeled and finely diced
1 carrot finely diced
1 stalk celery, finely diced
1 dried bay leaf
4 sprigs fresh thyme
4 cups water
1 1/4 cups dried French lentils
Salt and freshly ground pepper

 4 cups mixed greens
Balsamic Vinaigrette, recipe follows
12 wedges blue cheese

½ cup cooked bacon bits

Roasted beets
 
Lentils:
Sauté onions, carrots, and celery in 1 T oil till soft. Add water, thyme, bay leaf, and bring to a boil. Stir in the lentils and reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the lentils are tender, about 20 minutes. Drain well. Cool.
 

Roasted Beets:
3 medium beets (red or gold), scrubbed
Olive oil
 
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
 
Coat beets lightly with oil. Wrap beets in aluminum foil, place on a baking sheet, and roast in the oven until cooked through, approximately 45 to 60 minutes. Remove from the oven, let cool for 10 minutes, and then peel and slice into 1/4-inch thick slices.
 
Balsamic Honey Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup balsamic  vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 T honey
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup oil
 
Whisk together the vinegar, mustard, honey ,thyme and salt and pepper in a small bowl. Slowly drizzle in the oil and whisk until combined.