Looking for something healthy, delicious, and incredibly easy to make? Then you are going to love today’s recipe for French lentil salad. It’s a simple dish consisting of cooked lentils, finely diced vegetables (like carrots and shallots), chopped walnuts, and minced mint. All of which are tossed in a bright and tangy vinaigrette.
What is the Best Type of Lentils for this Salad?
In truth, pretty much any type of lentil will work for today’s recipe. It really doesn’t matter whether they are green lentils, brown lentils, yellow lentils, or even red lentils, they will all work. That being said if you want to make this dish as traditional as possible then you should use French lentils a.k.a. Lentilles du Puy.
If you’ve never heard of them before they are essentially just a variety of green lentils. And are mainly known for having a darker hue, a slight peppery taste, and their ability to not turn to mush when cooked. And that last point is exactly why they are great when used in this dish.
Because no one wants mushy lentil salad.
But I want to be completely honest with you folks. I went to my local grocery store last week with the full intention of picking up some French lentils for this recipe. However, once I found the lentils and looked at the price, I quickly changed my tune. Because it was ＄8.50 for the French lentils compared to ＄2.00 for the regular old green lentils. And while the French lentils are certainly better than the basic green lentils, they are NOT FOUR TIMES BETTER!!!! I mean like come on get out of here with that bull.
So I just picked up the green lentils and used them. And you know what, They turned out perfectly fine, no problems at all. So please don’t feel like you need to ball out to make this dish. Use whatever lentils you feel like using and just make sure to not overcook them into mush. It’s really as simple as that!
Tips, Tricks & Suggestions
- Make it your own: One thing I love about this recipe is how easy it can be customized. For example, if you don’t like celery or walnuts then simply leave them out. Trust me it’s not going to ruin the dish. Similarly, you can add in other types of ingredients like cheese or other vegetables like cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, or avocado. Just make sure to not go overboard with your additions, but if you accidentally do then simply make a little bit more of the dressing.
- Add stock: Want an easy way to give your lentils a little bit more flavor? Then try cooking them in either chicken or vegetable stock instead of water.
- How long will this salad last?: This salad will last at least a week if properly stored in a container in your fridge.
Some Other Salads You Might Enjoy
French Lentil Salad Recipe
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Servings: 8
Ingredients
1 Cup of uncooked French lentils (or regular brown/green lentils)
3 Cups of water
1 Bay leaf
1 Carrot, peeled and finely diced
1 Stick of celery, finely diced
1 Shallot, finely diced
½ Cup of walnuts or pecans, finely chopped
¼ Cup of mint, minced
For the vinaigrette:
¼ Cup of extra virgin olive oil
1½ Tablespoons of vinegar, either red wine, apple cider, or balsamic will work
1 Teaspoon of dijon mustard
Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook lentils: Get out a medium-sized pot and add the lentils, water, and bay leaf to it. Put this over medium-high heat and let the water come to a boil.
Then cover the pot with a lid, and reduce the heat to low. Let the lentils cook for the amount of time listed on the package instructions which is usually 15 to 20 minutes. The key is to make sure that the lentils are soft and tender but not cooked so long that they are mushy. Once the lentils are cooked drain them, remove the bay leaf, and set them aside.
- Make the vinaigrette: Get out a large mixing bowl and add all of the ingredients needed for the vinaigrette to it. Then use a whisk to combine these ingredients together until emulsified, roughly 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- Toss together everything: Add the cooked lentils, diced vegetables, chopped nuts, and mint to the same mixing bowl the vinaigrette is in. Then use two spoons to toss everything until thoroughly coated in the dressing.
- Let it chill (optional): While the lentil salad is technically finished at this point I highly recommend that you let it chill in your fridge for at least a couple of hours or overnight. Not only because the salad is meant to be served slightly chilled. But also because it will give the flavors in the salad enough time to meld together, making it much more delicious.
- Once properly chilled you can serve the french lentil salad as a side dish for any meal, or even as a main for a vegetarian dinner. Either way, enjoy!
French Lentil Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Cup of uncooked French lentils or regular brown/green lentils
- 3 Cups of water
- 1 Bay leaf
- 1 Carrot peeled and finely diced
- 1 Stick of celery finely diced
- 1 Shallot finely diced
- ½ Cup of walnuts or pecans finely chopped
- ¼ Cup of mint minced
For the vinaigrette:
- ¼ Cup of extra virgin olive oil
- 1½ Tablespoons of vinegar either red wine, apple cider, or balsamic will work
- 1 Teaspoon of dijon mustard
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook lentils: Get out a medium-sized pot and add the lentils, water, and bay leaf to it. Put this over medium-high heat and let the water come to a boil. Then cover the pot with a lid, and reduce the heat to low. Let the lentils cook for the amount of time listed on the package instructions which is usually 15 to 20 minutes. The key is to make sure that the lentils are soft and tender but not cooked so long that they are mushy. Once the lentils are cooked drain them, remove the bay leaf, and set them aside.
- Make the vinaigrette: Get out a large mixing bowl and add all of the ingredients needed for the vinaigrette to it. Then use a whisk to combine these ingredients together until emulsified, roughly 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- Toss together everything: Add the cooked lentils, diced vegetables, chopped nuts, and mint to the same mixing bowl the vinaigrette is in. Then use two spoons to toss everything until thoroughly coated in the dressing.
- Let it chill (optional): While the lentil salad is technically finished at this point I highly recommend that you let it chill in your fridge for at least a couple of hours or overnight. Not only because the salad is meant to be served slightly chilled. But also because it will give the flavors in the salad enough time to meld together, making it much more delicious.
- Once properly chilled you can serve the french lentil salad as a side dish for any meal, or even as a main for a vegetarian dinner. Either way, enjoy!
