French Lentil Salad

Flavor up lentils with vegetables and herbs to create the healthy and tasty side dish, French Lentil Salad.

Do you have a recipe Achilles heel?  Well, mine is a lack of side dishes.  I blame this on my CSA–and my own Potato (Cage) Garden. 

You see, a beautiful potato harvest means bags (and bags) or potatoes waiting to be turned into sides.  ‘Nuf said?

But luckily, sometimes things happen to shake up your routine.  Which was how I made this lovely French Lentil Salad.  Wholesome and flavorful with a toothsome chew, it could be the poster child for the benefits of stepping out of your comfort zone.

The recipe originally came from another Wisconsin blogger, Bowen Close of Bowen Appetit,.  A few years back, a number of local bloggers decided to review some of each other’s recipes.  Since she’s also a chef and cooking instructor, I figured I wasn’t taking much of a risk. 

Happily, my analysis was correct.   And the whole family enjoyed a unique and tasty side, while I got one step closer to conquering my nemesis. 

Why You’ll Love This!

Flavorful.  The sauteed celery, onion and carrot form what is called a mirepoix (also used in my Tuscan White Bean Kale Soup), a cooking technique used to add flavor to dishes that might otherwise be bland.

Unique.  I’ve always enjoyed lentils in soup but it’s lovely and special to enjoy them in a side dish or vegetarian entrée as well!

Healthy.  Those veggies contribute to both the flavor and health of the dish.  And lentils are no nutrition slouch either. 

What You’ll Need

Ingredients

• French Lentils.  These form the base of the dish.  Another lentil may be substituted.
• Bay leaf.  This adds flavor to the lentils as they cook.
• Olive oil. This is used to sauté the vegetables.  Another oil may be substituted.
• Onion, Carrot, Celery, Garlic, Thyme.  These add flavor and nutrition.
• Red wine vinegar, Olive Oil, Dijon Mustard. These are the main dressing ingredients
• Salt, pepper.  These enhance flavor.
• Parsley, Feta.  The topping–adds flavor and visual interest.

Special Tools

• No special tools are needed.

Step by Step Overview

Bring the lentils, water, bay leaf, and salt to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce to medium-low, cover, and let cook until lentils are tender – about 15 minutes (may vary depending on variety of lentil). Drain and discard bay leaf.

Meanwhile, heat a tablespoon of olive in a large skillet. Add the chopped onion, carrot, celery, garlic, and thyme and a large pinch of salt. Cook until vegetables are softened, 8-10 minutes.

To make the vinaigrette, whisk together the red wine vinegar, 4 tablespoons olive oil, mustard, salt and pepper.

Combine the drained lentils, cooked vegetables, and vinaigrette. Taste and adjust salt as desired. Top with chopped parsley and crumbled feta. Serve warm or room temperature.

Tips & FAQs

This salad is traditionally made with Puy lentils, and word on the street is that they’re the best for this.  But since I already owned three other types of lentils, I used brown. 

I have a note to myself that I liked this better warm, which is (slightly) true.  But this week, I’ve been eating the leftovers cold (or probably room temp by lunch time) as my “bag lunch.” I found this a lovely alternative to a sandwich, so consider giving it a try.

I’ve seen versions of this salad where the vegetables were boiled with the lentils.  But sautéing them is so little work—and it’s no extra time since it happens while the lentils cook.  Given they’re potentially more flavorful sauteed, I stuck with the original method. 

Other Easy European Recipes

• Cornbread Æblsekiver from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• German Potato Salad from Creative Cynchronicity
• Giardiniera from That Recipe
• Pepper Pasta with Italian Sausage from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures

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Warm French Lentils

Flavor up lentils with vegetables and herbs to create a healthy and tasty side dish of Warm French Lentils.

Author: Inger

5 from 2 votes

Print

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Course Side Dish

Cuisine French

Servings 4

Calories 400 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

Salad

• 1 cup French Lentils or other lentil, picked through for pebbles and rinsed
• 3 cups water
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil or another oil
• 1 onion diced
• 2 carrots diced
• 2 celery stalks diced (or 1/2 celery root)
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• A few sprigs of thyme leaves de-stemmed

Vinaigrette

• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1-2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• Salt
• Pepper

Topping

• A small handful of parsley leaves roughly chopped
• 2 ounces feta crumbles or more to taste, dairy or vegan

Instructions

 

• Bring the lentils, water, bay leaf, and salt to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce to medium-low, cover, and let cook until lentils are tender – about 15 minutes (may vary depending on variety of lentil). Drain and discard bay leaf.
• Meanwhile, heat a tablespoon of olive in a large skillet. Add the chopped onion, carrot, celery, garlic, and thyme and a large pinch or two of salt. Cook until vegetables are softened, 8-10 minutes.
• To make the vinaigrette, whisk together the red wine vinegar, 4 tablespoons olive oil, mustard, salt and pepper.
• Combine the drained lentils, cooked vegetables, and vinaigrette. Taste and adjust salt as desired. Top with chopped parsley and crumbled feta. Serve warm or room temperature.

Nutrition

Calories: 400kcalCarbohydrates: 36gProtein: 16gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 13mgSodium: 212mgPotassium: 163mgFiber: 16gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 5167IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 127mgIron: 4mg

I am not a health professional and nutrition data is calculated programatically. Accuracy may vary with product selection, calculator accuracy, etc. Consult a professional for the best information.

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