French Picnic Lentil Salad
French Picnic Lentil Salad
This French lentil salad is delicious whether served hot, cold, or at room temperature, and the leftovers will last for a few days in the fridge.This recipe is courtesy of Eat Your Greens.
Servings
4
Ingredients
- 5 cup water
- 2 cup french green (puy) lentils, rinsed and picked over
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 teaspoon salt, divided
- 2 small celery stalks, finely chopped
- 2 small carrots, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced
- 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
- 3 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
Directions
- Place the water, lentils, and bay leaf in a saucepan set over high heat, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon salt, and continue simmering for 10 more minutes, until the lentils are tender.
- While the lentils are cooking, warm 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large sauté pan, set over medium-low heat. Add the celery, carrots, garlic, onion, thyme, and ½ teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft and translucent, about 5-7 minutes.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, and remaining ½ teaspoon of salt. Add the remaining ¼ cup of olive oil in a steady stream, whisking constantly until the vinaigrette is well blended.
- When the lentils are cooked, drain them, and discard the bay leaf. Add the lentils and vinaigrette to the pan of cooked vegetables and stir to mix.