French Lentil Salad with Goat Cheese
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This hearty lentil salad is perfect for a light dinner or a wholesome on-the-go lunch.
I make this lentil salad when I’m looking to switch up my weekday lunch routine with something equally nourishing, but a bit different than the norm. It’s made with French green lentils, which are ideal for salads (and also my favorite lentil soup recipe) because they hold their shape when cooked. These lentils are grown in the rich volcanic soil near Le Puy en Velay in the Auvergne region of France and have a wonderful earthy flavor. You can find them in the bulk section at Whole Foods or other specialty food shops. Unlike dried beans, lentils don’t require pre-soaking prior to being cooked. You simply pick over the little legumes, remove any that look broken or damaged, and cook for 20 to 30 minutes. So easy!
“Yet one more excellent healthy recipe from you! This is delicious! I’m on my second batch in two weeks. Can’t stop eating it – in a bowl, on my salad – just delicious!”
What You’ll Need To Make French Lentil Salad
- French green lentils: The star of the salad. These small, firm lentils retain their shape when cooked, making them perfect for hearty salads with great texture.
- Chicken broth: Adds depth and flavor to the lentils, ensuring they’re seasoned from the inside out.
- Bay leaf: Infuses the lentils with subtle, herbal notes as they simmer.
- Carrots: Add a pop of color and touch of sweetness, complementing the earthy lentils.
- Celery: Lends a a crisp, fresh bite that balances the other vegetables and herbs.
- Fresh thyme and parsley: Contributes a pop of color and enhances the salad with fragrant, earthy flavors.
- Garlic: Provides a savory, aromatic foundation that boosts the overall flavor.
- Dijon mustard: Adds a bit of tang and complexity, helping to unify the flavors in the vinaigrette.
- Honey: Offers a touch of sweetness that balances the acidity of the lemon and mustard.
- Lemon juice: Brightens the salad with a zesty freshness and tangy acidity.
- Extra virgin olive oil: The key to a rich, smooth vinaigrette that binds all the flavors together.
- Goat cheese: Creamy and tangy, it adds richness and a beautiful contrast to the earthy lentils.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
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French Lentil Salad with Goat Cheese
This hearty lentil salad is perfect for a light dinner or a wholesome on-the-go lunch.
Ingredients
- 1 cup French green lentils (or common brown or green lentils)
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 large carrot, finely diced
- 2 ribs celery, finely diced
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme (or ½ teaspoon dried)
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, from one lemon
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, best quality such as Lucini or Colavita
- 3 ounces goat cheese
Instructions
- Before cooking the lentils, make sure you rinse them well and pick over them to remove any small rocks or debris. Combine lentils, chicken broth and bay leaf in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then turn heat down and simmer until lentils are tender, 25 to 30 minutes for French green lentils or 20 to 25 minutes for common brown or green lentils. Remove bay leaf, strain and let cool.
- In a large bowl, combine all remaining ingredients except goat cheese. Add cooled lentils and toss to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Transfer salad to serving dish, crumble goat cheese over top and serve.
- Note: When preparing this recipe, be sure to build in at least 10 minutes to cool the lentils after they have cooked.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (4 servings)
- Calories: 432
- Fat: 21g
- Saturated fat: 6g
- Carbohydrates: 40g
- Sugar: 7g
- Fiber: 16g
- Protein: 21g
- Sodium: 675mg
- Cholesterol: 15mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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I was looking for a recipe with scallops and lentils. I think this would fabulous to use as a base for seared scallops.
This salad is great with goat cheese, but I was driven by a craving to add a bit of baba ganoush instead—outstanding!
I’ve made this a few times and always add a twist. my last time was last week to a finicky audience and they loved it. I substituted carrots and celery for roasted diced sweet potatoes. I omitted the cheese. I added ribboned lacinato/dinosaur kale and radicchio whose bitterness complemented the dressing and sweet potatoes!
This is a great recipe!!! I love it as a side, a main or as a snack. I have paired it with coleslaw and for some reason the combination is yummy. I have left out the cheese so it keeps a long time as well.
Hi, I’ve never cooked lentils before. Are they supposed to be mushy or should they be firm and hold their shape? Mine came out mushy- should I try again and cook for less time? I cooked for 20 minutes. I didn’t read ahead to see I should drain afterwards- I was waiting for them to soak up all the broth.
BTW, I love, love, love all your recipes!
Sorry had a problem with this! They should definitely soften up, but should still hold their shape. So after you cooked them for 20 minutes, you let them soak in the pot? If so, that would’ve caused the problem. And so glad you like the recipes!
Made the following changes only because I was working with what I had on hand: Subbed Gorgonzola for Goat cheese, added cubed Honey Crisp apples to bring sweetness and stand in for the watery crispness of celery, and popped some green onion in at the end. I also cooked my lentils in Better Than Broth and water, bc we are vegetarian. I was making this ahead, and when I stirred it after refrigerating it for about two hours, I took a spoonful just to test. It was was so delicious that I couldn’t help but eat a whole cup! I will definitely make this again, next time as written but keeping the veggie broth, and I expect to love it just as much. Thanks for sharing!
This is quite good. You can pre-soak the lentils for a while so cooking is much faster. You can also just use water if you want to make this Veg. I’ve done it with a mix of water and broth. Be sure the lentils are quite cool before adding the other ingredients to avoid cooking them.