French Lentil Salad - Salade de Lentilles

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 20

Total Time: 30

Servings: people

Author: Giangi Townsend

French Lentil salad is often served as bistro fare in France; however, it is also a very common dish made at home.

Ingredients

1½ cup French green lentils, rinsed
3 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced in half lenghtwise
1 yellow onion, small and halved lenghtwise, peeled and root base kept intact
1 carrot, mediun, peeled and kept whole
1 bay leaf
2 thyme sprigs
½ cup white wine
salt

VINAIGRETTE

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
6 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
salt
¼ cup fresh chives, chopped
handful Italian parsley leaves
Black ground pepper

OPTIONAL

½ cup walnut, chopped

US - Metric

Instructions

In a medium saucepan, combine the lentils, onion, carrot, garlic, bay leaf, and fresh thyme. Add the wine and cover the lentils with water to cover all the ingredients by 1 inch.
Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the lentils are cooked through but still have a bite, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the vinaigrette by whisking together vinegar, salt, olive oil, chives, and mustard until a cream forms.
Drain the lentils, discard the garlic, thyme, bay leaf, and onion. Dice the carrot.
Add the warm lentils to the vinaigrette and toss. Season with salt and pepper if needed. Add the diced carrot and walnut
Once cooled off, add the parsley leaves and give it another great tossing and serve,

Equipment

Notes

Do rinse and check the lentils to remove any hard pieces.
Be very careful not to overcook the lentils. Start testing them around 10 to 12 minutes of cooking.
The carrot will cook fast. I know it is strange to leave it intact and then cut it into small dice after it is cooked, but doing so early on to save time will result in a very mushy carrot that will fall apart during cooking.

Nutrition

Giangi's Kitchen provides nutritional information, but these figures should be considered estimates, as a registered dietician does not calculate them.