The French Lentil Salad Recipe was the first class I attended in the Edible Alphabet series at the Culinary Literacy Center, the Free Library of Philadelphia. The recipe is healthy and colorful. The preparation is simple but the result is a complex and satisfying meal. Made with fresh vegetables and topped with goat cheese, it is a great vegetarian dish. Substitute nuts to your liking. Substitute other cheeses, or eliminate the cheese for a vegan meal.
A Guide to Eating Beans, Seeds, and Nuts
Ingredients
For the dressing
- •5 ml (1 teaspoon) finely chopped shallot
- •5 ml (1 teaspoon) red wine vinegar
- •5 ml (1 teaspoon) fresh lemon juice
- •10 ml (2 teaspoons) Dijon mustard
- •15 ml (1 tablespoon) extra virgin olive oil
- •Salt and black pepper, as needed
For the salad
- •156 ml (2/3 cup) French green lentils
- • 1 bay leaf
- •2 sprigs fresh thyme or 1.3 ml (¼ teaspoon) dried
- •Salt, as needed
- •1 carrot
- •1 stalk celery
- •1/4 red onion
- •45 ml (3 tablespoons) fresh parsley
- •6 ounces baby spinach
- •30 ml (2 tablespoons) sliced almonds
- •30 ml (2 tablespoons) goat cheese
- •Ground black pepper, as needed
Preparation
For the dressing: In a small bowl combine the minced shallot, vinegar, lemon juice, and mustard. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Let sit for 5 minutes to dissolve salt, then whisk in olive oil until blended. Set aside.
For the salad: Rinse the lentils. Place the lentils, bay leaf, thyme, and 4 ml (3/4 teaspoon) salt into a medium pot with 237 ml (2 cups) water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, peel and finely chop the carrot. Finely chop the celery and red onion.
In a small pan over medium-low heat, lightly toast almonds for about 5 minutes. After the lentils have simmered for 15 minutes, add the carrot, celery, and red onion. Continue cooking until the lentils are tender and have absorbed most, but not all, of the liquid, 10-15 minutes more.
Chop the parsley and spinach. Drain the lentils and transfer them back to the pot or to the salad serving bowl. Pluck out and discard the bay leaf and thyme sprigs. Pour the dressing over and stir to coat. Add parsley and spinach and stir.
Sprinkle in almonds and crumble in goat cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste and enjoy!