Toasted walnuts and fresh goat cheese make this classic French Lentil Salad recipe a special treat!
If you’re not already on the lentil bandwagon, this recipe will certainly turn you into a bona fide lentil-lover.
I’d say that my lentil obsession has been progressing pretty steadily over the past few years.
First, there were these Lebanese Warm Lentils.
Then, the red lentil obsession began. First with this Indian Mulligatawny Soup (an all-time favorite on the blog), then with these Creamy Ethiopian Lentils.
After that, I made Bavarian Lentil Soup every week for months on end. This past month, it’s been these Easy Vegan Lentil Tacos.
Lentils are my secret-vegetarian-recipe-weapon.
Most of the time I don’t set out to intentionally come up with vegetarian recipes, but any time I get a lentil craving I end up coming up with yet another vegetarian dish.
It just happens.
Since I was just in Paris last month, I’ve been on a bit of a French food kick.
Pretty much as soon as I came home, I made this French Pork with Apple Cream Sauce recipe and posted it on the blog. This lentil salad would be an excellent accompaniment to that tasty pork recipe!
This salad can be enjoyed either warm or cold. I like to serve it on a bed of arugula greens; it adds a nice peppery flavor to the salad!
French Lentil Salad with Walnuts and Goat Cheese Recipe
Ingredients
- 5 ounces fresh goat cheese
- 1 1/2 cups French green lentils
- 3 1/2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 cup diced carrot
- 1 cup diced red onion
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 cloves garlic - pressed
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup raw walnuts
- 4 cups arugula leaves
Instructions
- Set the goat cheese out on the counter to allow it to come to room temperature while you prepare the salad.
- Bring the lentils, broth, and thyme to a boil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Turn the heat down to low and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Add the diced carrot and onion, cover the pot, and allow to cook for another 5-10 minutes, until the lentils are tender.
- Meanwhile, make the dressing by whisking together the olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, pressed garlic, honey, and salt.
- Toast the walnuts by placing them in a dry pan and setting it over medium heat. Shake the walnuts occasionally and remove from heat when fragrant and slightly browned (do not burn).
- Once the lentils are cooked, drain off any excess liquid and toss with the prepared dressing. Serve the lentils on a bed of arugula leaves, topped with pats of goat cheese.
Do you have to soak the lentils overnight?
Hi Leke,
No need to soak the lentils overnight.
– Linda
This dish looks delicious and beautiful! I could maybe replicate it. I have a friend who owns a few goats, and he likes to make goat milk when he can. Maybe he’d let me take some, and I can procure the other ingredients elsewhere.
Wow, that would be amazing! Fresh goat cheese is the BEST!