french lentil

Toasted walnuts and fresh goat cheese make this classic French Lentil Salad a special treat!

French Lentil Salad with Walnuts and Goat Cheese Recipe

goat cheese

French green lentils

vegetable broth

thyme

carrot

red onion

extra virgin olive oil

lemon juice

Dijon mustard

garlic, pressed

honey

salt

walnuts

arugula leaves

Set the goat cheese out on the counter...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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.

French Lentil Soup

Extra-virgin olive oil

onions

celery celery leaves

carrots

garlic cloves, chopped

lentils, rinsed, drained

tomatoes

Balsamic vinegar (optional)

Bon Appétit

Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions, celery, carrots, and garlic; sauté until vegetables begin to brown, about 15 minutes. Add 4 cups broth, lentils, and tomatoes with juice and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until lentils are tender, about 35 minutes.

Transfer 2 cups soup (mostly solids) to blender and puree until smooth. Return puree to soup in pan; thin soup with more broth by 1/4 cupfuls, if too thick. Season with salt, pepper, and a splash of vinegar, if desired. Ladle soup into bowls. Garnish with celery leaves.

The famous lentil and rice dish is versatile and takes well to a number of grain and bean substitutions. Don't skimp on the sizzled spiced onions.

Mejadra

basmati rice

unsalted butter

angel hair pasta,

brown lentils

onions,

cornstarch

extra-virgin olive oil,

Tbsp. cumin

cinnamon

turmeric

pepper

plain whole-milk Greek yogurt

chives (for serving)

Even famous chefs like Yotam Ottolenghi aren’t immune from the unexpected whims of the occasional picky eater (kids!). Luckily, he shares his road-tested blueprint for Mejadra, the popular dish enjoyed around the Arab world—and especially in his home kitchen.
This recipe for Mejadra is great as is, but you can also follow Ottolenghi’s lead and swap the rice and lentils for whatever combination of grains and beans you have on hand. The brown lentils called for here can easily be swapped for green, black, or Le Puy, with the latter taking about 10 minutes longer to cook.

Place 1 cup basmati rice in a medium bowl and pour in cold water to cover. Swish rice around with your fingers, then drain in a fine-mesh sieve. Repeat process until water runs clear (3–5 more times). Drain rice well the final time.

Heat 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high. Add 2 oz. angel hair pasta, coarsely broken into 1" pieces (about ¾ cup), and cook, stirring often, until lightly browned, about 90 seconds. Add rice, 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt, and 2 cups water and stir to combine; reserve sieve. Cover pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cook 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, place ½ cup brown lentils in another medium saucepan and pour in water to cover by about 1"; season with salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and cook until lentils are tender but still hold their shape, 12–15 minutes. Drain in reserved sieve; set aside.

Remove rice mixture from heat and let sit (still covered) 15 minutes.

While the rice mixture is resting, toss 2 medium onions, thinly sliced, and 1½ tsp. cornstarch in a clean medium bowl to coat. Heat ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil in a large nonstick pan over high. Carefully add onions to pan; reserve bowl. Reduce heat to medium-high and cook, stirring often and adjusting heat as needed, until golden brown and crisp in spots, 12–15 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and add 1 Tbsp. ground cumin, 2 tsp. ground cinnamon, ½ tsp. ground turmeric, and remaining ¼ tsp. Diamond Crystal or Morton kosher salt. Season with freshly ground pepper and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Transfer onions back to reserved bowl.

Fluff rice mixture with a fork. Gently mix in lentils, then onions, reserving a few. Divide mejadra among bowls and spoon 1 cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt over. Top with reserved onions, then thinly sliced chives; drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil.

Here’s your answer to the question: “What can I make on Sunday night that will taste great for my 10:30 a.m. desk lunch on Wednesday?” This is precisely the work lunch you always wish you had packed, with lots of lentils to keep you full 'til at least 3 p.m., kale (for health!), salty olives, crunchy nuts, and just the right amount of cheese. 

Lentil Salad

Tuscan kale (about 10 oz.)

Kosher salt

almonds

scallions

garlic

lemon

olive oil

black beluga or French green lentils

Tbsp. cumin seeds

½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

feta

Castelvetrano olives

Here’s the answer to your question, “What can I make on Sunday night that will taste great for my 10:30 a.m. desk lunch on Wednesday?” This is precisely the work lunch you always wish you had packed, with lots of lentils to keep you full ’til at least 3 p.m., kale (for health!), salty olives, crunchy nuts, and just the right amount of cheese. And it’s all dressed in a lemony, garlicky spiced oil that we’d encourage you to drizzle over ricotta or hummus. Be sure to use black or French green lentils. Brown or red lentils will get too soft—you’ll end up with a stew rather than a salad.

Epicurious

Strip leaves off stems from 1 large bunch Tuscan kale; discard stems or save for later! Stack leaves, then roll into fat cigars. Slice crosswise into ¼" strips to long, thin ribbons. Unfurl ribbons and run your knife through them just once or twice more to shorten any very long strips. Transfer to a large bowl, season with salt, and massage until kale is silkier, softer, and darker in color, 1–2 minutes.

Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil over high heat. While you're waiting, prep the spiced oil. Coarsely chop ½ cup raw almonds; set aside. Trim 3 scallions and separate white and green parts (save the green parts for later in the recipe); thinly slice white parts and transfer to a small skillet. Smash and peel 4 garlic cloves. Add those to same skillet, too. Using a vegetable peeler or paring knife, remove three 3" strips of lemon peel (avoiding white pith); reserve rest of the lemon for your salad dressing. Add peels to skillet. Pour ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil into skillet and stir so that all of the elements are coated in oil.

Add 1½ cups black beluga or French green lentils to now-boiling water, reduce heat to medium, and simmer, uncovered, until lentils are tender but still al dente, 20–25 minutes (they'll turn mushy if overcooked). We love to cook lentils like pasta—that is, in an abundant amount of salted water—so that we can monitor their doneness as they cook and make sure they don't get too soft.

While lentils cook, heat skillet with scallion mixture over medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, until garlic starts to brown and lemon peel starts to curl, about 3 minutes. Add almonds and cook, stirring frequently, until almonds are browned, about 3 more minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 1 Tbsp. cumin seeds and ½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes—the residual heat from the oil will bloom those spices and bring out their flavors.

Strain mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl, shaking to help oil drain; reserve oil (that's the base of your salad dressing). Spread almond mixture (don't forget those cumin seeds!) on a paper towel-lined plate or baking sheet. Season with salt and let cool (the nuts will get crunchier as they sit).

Crumble 5 oz. feta into bowl with kale. Smash 1 cup Castelvetrano olives with the back of your knife; remove pits. Tear olives into large pieces and add to bowl. Thinly slice reserved scallion greens and add most to bowl (save some for serving). Add juice of reserved lemon and ½ tsp. salt.

Drain lentils well, shaking to get rid of excess moisture, and add to bowl with kale; season with salt. Add infused oil and half of nuts and toss to combine.

Divide salad among bowls. Garnish with remaining nuts and scallion greens. (If you’re taking this to work, just throw all of the scallions and nuts in at once—or bring them to work in separate containers and be that person garnishing your desk salad. You're worth it.) Eat around the lemon peels and garlic slices, which are edible but intense.

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The most viewed french lentil recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine