French Lentil Salad with Dijon Vinaigrette
This French lentil salad with carrots, shallots, parsley, and Dijon vinaigrette is simple, meal-prep friendly, and Mediterranean Diet-friendly.
Servings: 6
Calories: 184kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
For the lentils
- 1 cup black beluga lentils or French lentilles du Puy
- 1 quart water
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp kosher salt
For the salad
- 1 cup carrots diced small or thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup shallots finely minced
- 1/2 cup flat leaf parsley chopped
For the vinaigrette
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Rinse the lentils and remove any debris.
- Place the lentils in a medium saucepan with the water, bay leaf, and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer.
- Cook uncovered for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the lentils are just tender but still whole. Start testing at 20 minutes, then every 5 minutes. Cook time can vary depending on the variety and how old the lentils are.
- Drain the lentils and rinse briefly with cold water. Drain well.
- While the lentils cook, whisk together the Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and black pepper in a large bowl.
- Add the drained lentils to the bowl with the vinaigrette and toss well.
- Stir in the carrots and shallots.
- Add the parsley and toss again.
- Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt, pepper, or a splash of red wine vinegar if needed.
Notes
- Black beluga lentils, lentilles du Puy, or green lentils all work well in this salad. Avoid red or yellow lentils, which break down too quickly.
- For salad texture, the lentils should be tender but still intact. Drain them as soon as they are just done.
- If you are following a very low sodium diet, you can omit the salt from the cooking water and season the salad lightly at the end.
- This salad tastes even better the next day once the flavors have had time to meld.
- The salad is best served at room temperature.
- Do not freeze this salad. The texture of the lentils and vegetables will suffer.
Nutrition
Calories: 184kcal | Total Carbohydrate: 21g | Protein: 9g | Total Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 348mg | Potassium: 137mg | Dietary Fiber: 8g | Total Sugars: 2g | Vitamin A: 3990IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 3mg | Includes Added Sugar: 0g