French Lentil Salad with Zesty Dijon Vinaigrette (Printable)

Tender French lentils with crisp vegetables in zesty Dijon vinaigrette. An elegant vegetarian dish ready in 45 minutes.

# What You'll Need:

→ For the Lentil Salad

01 - 1 cup French green lentils (Puy lentils), rinsed
02 - 3 cups water
03 - 1 bay leaf
04 - 1 small red onion, finely diced
05 - 1 medium carrot, peeled and finely diced
06 - 1 celery stalk, finely diced
07 - 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
08 - 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
09 - 2 tablespoons chives, finely chopped
10 - Salt and pepper, to taste

→ For the Zesty Dijon Vinaigrette

11 - 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
12 - 1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
13 - 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
14 - 1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
15 - 1 garlic clove, finely minced
16 - Zest of 1 lemon
17 - 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
18 - Salt and pepper, to taste

# How-to Steps:

01 - In a medium saucepan, combine lentils, water, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 18-22 minutes, until lentils are just tender but not mushy. Drain, discard bay leaf, and set aside to cool slightly.
02 - While lentils cook, finely dice the red onion, carrot, and celery. Halve the cherry tomatoes and chop the parsley and chives.
03 - In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt and pepper until emulsified.
04 - In a large bowl, combine the warm lentils, diced vegetables, tomatoes, parsley, and chives. Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and toss gently to coat.
05 - Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt, pepper, or lemon juice if desired. Serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled.

# Expert Pointers:

01 -
  • The lentils stay perfectly toothsome, never mushy, thanks to a simple trick I learned from an impatient French chef
  • This salad actually tastes better after sitting in the fridge, making it your new best friend for meal prep
  • The vinaigrette is the kind of versatile magic that you will want to drizzle on everything from roasted potatoes to simple green salads
02 -
  • Do not salt the lentil cooking water or they will develop a tough, unappealing skin that ruins the whole tender experience
  • The vinaigrette might seem too sharp when you first taste it, but remember that the lentils and vegetables will mellow everything out considerably
  • If you are making this ahead, hold back on adding the fresh herbs until just before serving or they will wilt and lose their vibrant punch
03 -
  • Rinse your lentils thoroughly under cold water and pick through them for any small stones or debris, which I learned the hard way after a very crunchy dinner
  • Invest in a good microplane for the lemon zest, as it catches only the fragrant outer layer without any bitter white pith

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