French Lentil Salad

5 from 1 vote

French lentil salad is a cold or hot salad dressed in a tangy dressing with an array of vegetables served on a bed of arugula and topped with vegan tofu feta cheese. This quick and easy lentil salad is perfect for a hot summer night.

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Total Time30 mins

Course: Salad

Cuisine: French

Diet: Vegan

Servings: servings

Calories: 196kcal

Author: Kathy Carmichael

Ingredients

Lentil Salad

2 ½ cups cooked brown or green lentils 1 cup dry yields 2 ½ cups cooked
1 large carrot finely chopped
2 ribs celery finely chopped
½ small red onion diced (½ cup)
¼ cup fresh parsley chopped
3 Tablespoon fresh thyme

Other ingredients (Optional)

8 ounces arugula
3 tomatoes sliced thin
1 English cucumber sliced
3 ounces vegan tofu feta cheese

Dressing

2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons maple syrup or date syrup
3 Tablespoons lemon juice

Instructions

Lentil salad

Rinse the lentils in a mesh sieve or colander under the cool water, removing any debris or stones; While rinsing, make sure to pick out any sour lentils, debris, or small rocks often found in a bag of lentils.
Add four cups of water per cup of lentils to a pot.
Bring the pot to a boil. Then reduce the heat to simmer, cover, and cook the lentils on simmer for the designated time (based on the type of lentils chosen).
Drain the water from the lentils.
Serve warm or cold depending on the recipe (for this recipe, serve warm or cold; I served it cold).
The cooking time is determined by the types of lentils chosen (see blog post).
Place lentils in a bowl and add the chopped vegetables and herbs.
Stir to combine.

Dressing

Combine all the dressing ingredients and whisk together.
Pour over the lentil salad and stir.
If serving cold, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
If serving warm, serve immediately.

Entree Salad

Place arugula on the base of the plate or in the bowl and form a well in the middle.
Then, add a generous portion of French lentil salad.
Sprinkle with vegan tofu feta cheese.
Arrange cucumbers and tomatoes for garnish.
Salt and pepper as desired.

Notes

Brown, green or black lentils are best. Do not use red lentils for this salad.
For an easy shortcut, buy lentils already prepared. For example, I use Trader Joe's steamed vacuum-sealed lentils.
If making an entree salad, add green to the base of the bowl and top with the french lentil salad.
I suggest adding cucumbers and tomatoes.
I also enjoy tofu feta cheese on top.
Although the dressing is not a lot in terms of amount, it goes a long way. You want the salad lightly dressed because the ingredients stand alone in flavor.
Dress the lentil salad in advance, but do not add the greens when dressing.

Nutrition