French lentil salad with mustard vinaigrette
40 min · 11 g protein · 172 cals / serving
Small dark lentils that hold their shape, dressed while warm in a sharp Dijon and shallot vinaigrette so they soak it up, with crunchy carrot and celery, a lot of parsley and a little crumbled goat cheese. A bistro side that sits happily beside fish, sausages or roast chicken, and is still good on day three.
Ingredients
Vinaigrette
- 1 large shallot, very finely chopped
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 small clove garlic, grated
- 2 tsp olive oil, extra virgin
- 3/4 tsp salt, divided
Vinaigrette
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 medium carrots, finely diced
- 3 stalks celery, finely diced
- 1 cup leaves fresh parsley, chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh chives, snipped
- 1 oz goat cheese, soft goat cheese, crumbled
Steps
- Put the lentils, water, bay leaf and a pinch of the salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then simmer gently, partly covered, for 20–25 minutes, until tender but still holding their shape. Taste a few from the middle of the pan: they should be soft all the way through with no chalkiness. Drain well and discard the bay leaf.
- While the lentils cook, put the shallot in a large bowl with the vinegar and let it sit for 5 minutes to soften its bite. Whisk in the mustard, garlic, olive oil, the rest of the salt and the pepper.
- Tip the hot, drained lentils into the vinaigrette and stir well; warm lentils drink up the dressing. Let them cool for 10 minutes, then fold in the carrot, celery, parsley and chives.
- Taste for salt and vinegar, then scatter the goat cheese over the top. Serve warm or at room temperature, or chill and bring back to room temperature before serving.
Good to know
Which lentils work?
Puy or other small French green lentils, or black beluga lentils, keep their shape best. Brown or large green lentils work too but turn soft faster, so start tasting them at 15 minutes. Red lentils fall apart and are not right for a salad.
Can I leave out the goat cheese?
Yes; it is then dairy-free and vegan, and scores about 69 instead of 66. A handful of chopped walnuts or a few chopped cornichons gives it a different finish.
How far ahead can I make it?
It keeps 4 days in the fridge and the flavour improves overnight. Lentils soak up the dressing as they sit, so add a splash of vinegar and a little salt before serving if it tastes flat.
Per
- Calories
- 111
- Protein
- (28%)
- 7 g
- Fat
- (18%)
- 2 g
- Carbohydrates
- (53%)
- 17 g
- of which sugar
- 3 g
- Fiber
- 6 g
- Sodium
- 383 mg
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Computed from the ingredients with our published formula, not yet kitchen-tested. How
As written, 1030 kcal goes into the pot and 1378 g of ingredients comes out as about 930 g of food: 111 kcal per 100 g. Cooking moves water and energy density is the score's biggest lever, so the dish is scored as cooked, not as an average of its parts. Every ingredient links to its food page, with the same data and score. The label's percentages are each macronutrient's share of the calories. The full formula.