Eat Healthy and Cheap
French Lentil Salad, Puy
Puy lentils, grown in the volcanic soil of France's Auvergne region, are the only lentil in Europe with a protected designation of origin, earned because they hold their shape through a full simmer instead of collapsing into a puree. That firmness is what makes a lentil salad possible at all, and it is the whole reason French cooks reach for this variety over a red or brown lentil when the dish is meant to be tossed, not spooned. The other trick worth knowing: mustard is a natural emulsifier, so a French vinaigrette has never actually needed oil to hold together, it needed dijon. Here the mustard binds a splash of the lentils' own starchy cooking water into a dressing with real cling, and it goes on while the lentils are still warm so they drink it in the way warm pasta drinks in sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 cup French green lentils
- 1 Carrot, diced small
- 1 stalk Celery, diced small
- 1 Bay leave
- 2 sprigs Thyme
- 2 Shallots, minced
- 1 clove Garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp White wine vinegar
- 1 1/2 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1/3 cup Flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 3 tbsp Walnuts, chopped and toasted
- 1/4 tsp Black peppercorns, freshly ground
Method
- Combine the lentils, diced carrot, diced celery, bay leaf, and thyme in a pot with 3 cups (720 ml) water. Bring to a boil, then drop to a bare simmer. A hard boil splits the lentils' skins before the inside is done, which is why Puy lentils specifically ask for a gentle hand.
- Simmer uncovered, 25 to 30 minutes, until tender but still holding their shape, not mushy. Start checking at 25 minutes: French green lentils go from firm to soft in about 3 minutes flat.
- Meanwhile, stir the minced shallot and garlic into the vinegar in a small bowl and set aside. Twenty minutes in vinegar takes the raw edge off both, the same trick as a quick pickle, so they read rounded instead of sharp in the finished salad.
- Drain the lentils over a bowl to catch the liquid, then discard the bay leaf and thyme stems.
- Whisk the dijon mustard into the shallot-vinegar mixture, then whisk in 2 to 3 tablespoons of the warm reserved lentil liquid, a little at a time, until the dressing turns glossy and clings to the whisk. Mustard's own emulsifiers hold an oil-free vinaigrette together; the starchy cooking liquid gives it the body oil would otherwise supply.
- While the lentils are still warm, toss them with the dressing. Warm lentils drink in a vinaigrette the way warm pasta drinks in sauce; dressed cold, the same dressing would just sit on top instead of soaking in.
- Fold in the parsley, walnuts, and black pepper. Taste before reaching for any salt: the mustard, vinegar, and toasted walnuts are already doing the job salt would otherwise do. Serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled the next day.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving: 300 calories, 17 g protein, 15 g fiber. Computed from USDA FoodData Central reference values for the main ingredients. This is an approximation, not a laboratory measurement.
Cost per serving is estimated from US national-average retail prices for cheap staple forms, using BLS dried-bean prices and USDA produce prices. Prices vary by store and season, so treat it as a guide, not a receipt.
