Name: French Green Lentil Salad
Total time: 1 h
Ingredients: 3 cups dried French green lentils, rinsed and drained; 5 cups water; 2 teaspoons reduced sodium vegetable broth; 4 stalks celery, diced (about 1½ cups); 1½ cups cherry tomatoes, halved; 2 medium shallots, finely diced (or ½ small onion); ¼ cup packed chopped fresh parsley; Pinch of sea salt (optional); 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard; 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar; 1 teaspoon herbes de Provence; Freshly ground black pepper, to taste; 1 medium clove garlic, minced

Ready In: 1 hour
Makes 6 (1-cup) servings
print/save recipe

Please enter your email to continue.

Email

Cancel

Beans aren’t the only member of the legume family worth celebrating. Lentils, packed with fiber and protein, are just as nutritious. Plus they cook up in only 15 to 20 minutes (no soaking required). A French friend shared her mother’s traditional recipe for lentil salad with me years ago. This simple salad, seasoned with a French vinaigrette, is a classic dish in France. Because the flavors continue to meld, it’s also great the next day.

Adapted From Plant-Powered for Life

By Sharon Palmer, MSFS, RDN, Last Updated: Jun 2, 2023

Ingredients

FOR THE LENTILS

3 cups dried French green lentils, rinsed and drained
5 cups water
2 teaspoons reduced sodium vegetable broth
4 stalks celery, diced (about 1½ cups)
1½ cups cherry tomatoes, halved
2 medium shallots, finely diced (or ½ small onion)
¼ cup packed chopped fresh parsley
Pinch of sea salt (optional)

FOR THE DRESSING

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon herbes de Provence
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 medium clove garlic, minced

Instructions

To make the lentils, combine the lentils, water, and broth in a saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until the lentils are tender but firm.
Remove from the heat, drain any remaining liquid, and transfer the lentils to a large bowl. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
Stir in the celery, tomatoes, shallots, and parsley.
To make the dressing, combine the mustard, vinegar, herbes de Provence, pepper, and garlic in a small dish, and whisk.
Pour the dressing over the lentil mixture and toss well to combine. Season with salt to taste, if desired. Serve chilled.

(1)

2 Comments

Comments (2)

(5 from 1 votes)

Add a Comment and/or Rating

Leave a Reply

Recipe Rating

Comment Reply Name* Email* Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You need to provide a comment or rating to submit

Jon2 years ago

Is it 3 cups uncooked lentils? That’s what I thought since instructions are to cook them. Seemed like way too many lentils vs. other ingredients. Wondering if it was 3 cups cooked.

Anne2 years ago

Jon, I agree. I just made this and in theory it’s good and simple. In reality, that’s a lot of lentils!!!!! The ratio of lentils to dressing is not in balance. I had to make double the dressing and I added half again as many vegetables and some sliced baby cucumbers. With all that it was much better, albeit more salad than I bargained for;-) Next time I’ll likely make about half the lentils and the extra vegetables and dressing.

Learn how to cookplant-based meals at home

Forks Over Knives’ online cooking course will help you learn new techniques, flavors, and skills to live your very best life.

Join the course

Healthy eatingshouldn't be a hassle

With weekly meal plans, Forks Meal Planner takes the hard work out of making nutritious meals the whole family will enjoy.

Get meal planner

about the author

Sharon Palmer, MSFS, RDN

Sharon Palmer is an award-winning registered dietitian nutritionist and editor. She is the author of The Plant-Powered Diet and California Vegan, and she blogs at The Plant-Powered Dietitian. A nationally recognized plant-based nutrition expert, she lives outside of Los Angeles with her husband and two sons. Find her on Twitter and Instagram.

see more from this author