French Green Lentil Salad
This 30-minute French-inspired green lentil salad is hearty, fresh, and flavored with a bright Dijon mustard vinaigrette! Delightful and wholesome, this rustic salad comes together in less than 30 minutes. Perfect as a light summer appetizer or as a side dish!
Ingredients
- 1 cup French green lentils
- 3 cups water
Vinaigrette
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 2 cloves of garlic minced
- 1 shallot minced
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
- 2-3 mint leaves chopped
Instructions
Cook the lentils
- Clean the lentils. Add the green lentils to a bowl and cover with cold water. Drain and repeat once.
- Let simmer. Add the green lentils to a deep saucepan and cover with the 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil and lower the heat to a simmer. Cover with a lid and cook for 20-25 minutes. I recommend checking the doneness of the lentils at the 18 minutes mark. Lentils should be tender.
- Drain. Remove from heat and drain the cooked lentils. Rinse them twice under cold water. This will stop the cooking process and cool the lentils. Transfer the cooked lentils to a mixing bowl and set aside.
Make the vinaigrette
- Combine the vinaigrette ingredients in a small bowl and stir until fully combined.
Assemble
- Add the vinaigrette and fresh herbs to the lentils. Using a wooden spoon, toss to coat the lentils with the vinaigrette. Taste and adjust the saltiness and tanginess to your liking.
- Serve immediately or chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours to allow the flavors to merge.
Notes
- Adjust the cooking time. Depending on the type of lentils used, you might have to increase or decrease the cooking time. It also comes down to your preference. I personally prefer the lentils to be very tender, but if you like your lentils al-dente, cook them for a shorter amount of time.
- Make it zesty. Feel free to add lemon zest and an extra tablespoon of lemon juice to make this green lentil salad more lemony!
- Play with the herbs. Fresh herbs add a ton of flavor to this lentil salad! Do not hesitate to use different herbs like cilantro, tarragon, chives, or rosemary.
- Let the salad rest. I highly recommend letting the salad chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours to allow the flavors to merge and the lentils to absorb some of the vinaigrette.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 serving | Calories: 282 kcal | Carbohydrates: 32.2 g | Protein: 14.2 g | Fat: 11.4 g | Saturated Fat: 1.6 g | Sodium: 311 mg | Potassium: 554 mg | Fiber: 15.9 g | Sugar: 1.1 g | Calcium: 35 mg | Iron: 4 mg