French · Lunch · Dinner
French Lentil Salad
Salade de lentilles du Puy
Earthy Puy lentils, tossed while still warm in a sharp Dijon and shallot vinaigrette, with crisp carrot, celery and plenty of fresh herbs. It's hearty enough for lunch and keeps well in the fridge.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 40 min
- Serves
- 4
Calories come from: Carbs 57% · Fat 22% · Protein 21%
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Ingredients
For 4 servings- 1 1/4 cups250 gPuy lentils (French green lentils), dry
- 4 cups1,000 gWater
- 1 leafBay leaf
- 2 sprigsFresh thyme
- 1 medium60 gCarrot, finely diced
- 1 stalk40 gCelery, finely diced
- 1 large50 gShallot, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp15 gDijon mustard
- 2 tbsp30 gRed wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp27 gExtra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup30 gFresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 2 tbsp6 gFresh chives, snipped
- 1/2 tspSalt
- 1/4 tspBlack pepper, ground
Steps
- 1
Rinse the lentils in a sieve under cold water and pick out any small stones.
- 2
Put the lentils, water, bay leaf and thyme in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
- 3
Lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 20–25 minutes, until the lentils are tender but still hold their shape.
- 4
While the lentils cook, whisk the shallot, Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper in a large bowl and let it sit for 5 minutes to soften the shallot.
- 5
Whisk the olive oil into the shallot mixture to make the vinaigrette.
- 6
Drain the lentils well and discard the bay leaf and thyme stems.
- 7
Tip the warm lentils into the vinaigrette and toss so they soak up the dressing.
- 8
Stir in the carrot and celery.
- 9
Let the salad cool for a few minutes, then fold in the parsley and chives.
- 10
Taste, adjust the salt, pepper or vinegar, and serve warm or at room temperature.
Swaps, storage and make-ahead
Swaps
- Use brown or regular green lentils if you can't find Puy lentils, checking them from 15 minutes as they soften faster and can turn mushy.
- Swap the shallot for a quarter of a red onion, finely chopped, for an easier-to-find option with a slightly sharper bite.
- Replace the red wine vinegar with fresh lemon juice for a brighter, fresher dressing.
- Add diced ripe tomato or cucumber in place of the celery for a juicier, summery salad.
Storage
Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container within 2 hours and eat within 3 to 4 days, serving cold or at room temperature. Freezing is not recommended because the fresh herbs and crunchy vegetables turn soft.
Make ahead
Cook the lentils and whisk the vinaigrette up to 2 days ahead, keeping them in separate covered containers in the fridge. Toss them together with the vegetables shortly before serving, and fold in the parsley and chives at the last minute so they stay fresh.
Nutrition values are for the recipe as written.
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Allergens and nutrition
Contains: CeleryMustardSulphites
Check the labels of packaged ingredients for allergens and suitability for your diet.
Full nutrition
| Per serving (378 g) | Per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 304 kcal | 80 kcal |
| Protein | 16.3 g | 4.3 g |
| Carbohydrates | 44.4 g | 11.7 g |
| of which sugars | 3.2 g | 0.8 g |
| Fiber | 8.2 g | 2.2 g |
| Fat | 7.7 g | 2 g |
| of which saturated | 1.1 g | 0.3 g |
| Sodium | 371 mg | 98 mg |
Nutrition is calculated from USDA FoodData Central data and may differ from what you cook.
