French Lentil Salad with Goat Cheese
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This hearty lentil salad is perfect for a light dinner or a wholesome on-the-go lunch.
I make this lentil salad when I get tired of hasty on-the-go lunches and am craving something wholesome. It’s made with French green lentils, which are ideal for salads (and also my favorite lentil soup recipe) because they hold their shape when cooked. These lentils are grown in the rich volcanic soil near Le Puy en Velay in the Auvergne region of France and have a wonderful earthy flavor. You can find them in the bulk section at Whole Foods or other specialty food shops. Unlike dried beans, lentils don’t require pre-soaking prior to being cooked. You simply pick over the little legumes, remove any that look broken or damaged, and cook for 20-30 minutes. So easy!
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French Lentil Salad with Goat Cheese
This hearty lentil salad is perfect for a light dinner or a wholesome on-the-go lunch.
Ingredients
- 1 cup French green lentils (or common brown or green lentils)
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 large carrot, finely diced
- 2 ribs celery, finely diced
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme (or ½ teaspoon dried)
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, from one lemon
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, best quality such as Lucini or Colavita
- 3 ounces goat cheese
Instructions
- Before cooking the lentils, make sure you rinse them well and pick over them to remove any small rocks or debris. Combine lentils, chicken broth and bay leaf in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then turn heat down and simmer until lentils are tender, 25-30 minutes for French green lentils or 20-25 minutes for common brown or green lentils. Remove bay leaf, strain and let cool.
- In a large bowl, combine all remaining ingredients except goat cheese. Add cooled lentils and toss to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Transfer salad to serving dish, crumble goat cheese over top and serve.
- Note: When preparing this recipe, be sure to build in at least 10 minutes to cool the lentils after they have cooked.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (4 servings)
- Calories: 432
- Fat: 21g
- Saturated fat: 6g
- Carbohydrates: 40g
- Sugar: 7g
- Fiber: 16g
- Protein: 21g
- Sodium: 675mg
- Cholesterol: 15mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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I’m loving this dish (eating some right now, my 2nd batch in 2 weeks). I put the carrots in to simmer with the lentils for the last 10 minutes of cooking time; they come out just tender.
I am wondering what else I could add to this dish? I keep thinking it will come to me but nothing yet… any ideas? Other veggies, in particular? Not to make it better – it’s great all by itself – but just to get more veggies in my day.
Hi Katie, Red bell peppers might be nice. You could also try some cooked haricot verts chopped into bite-sized pieces.
This is absolutely delicious. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you for testing and perfecting this recipe! It is A++! The fresh herbs, garlic, dijon mustard! Love it! I ate this with the Mesclun Salad all day for Christmas! So satisfying.
The flavors dance the next day. I cooked my green lentils al dente so not mushy. This is my new daily dish!!
This lentil salad is soooo addictive! I used brown lentils and Progresso Tuscan broth(to simmer.) Just delicious. Another wonderful recipe- many thanks.
Another crowd pleaser – and I used vegetarian broth to cook the lentils…I drained the extra liquid and froze it, then later added it to a soup I was making. No waste. Works well with feta too.
Nutritional info?
Hi Michelle, The recipe has been updated to include nutritional info. See underneath the recipe.
I made this last winter and it made me like lentils even more. I’ve tried this twice, first with goat cheese and then with feta. I like it with feta better. Planning to serve this on my next fall or winter party
Any suggestion for substitute for the mustard? I’m all out, thanks!
Hi Grace, You could use a little dry ground mustard if you have it, or else just leave it out.
You had goat cheese but no mustard?
Love this! Was really happy to find it as I wanted a lentil dish that wasn’t soup. Plus I LOVE goat cheese! Perfection.
This was my lunch for 3 days in a row!!
This is such a yummy recipe! Our family and friends LOVE it. Thank you.
[…] prepared the salad hosted here at , and it was great! The salad is easy to prepare, I had no problems with it even though I don't […]
Was in the mood for something warm for lunch, so spooned the lentil salad on top of a huge handful of baby spinach, topped with crumbled goat cheese and popped it in the microwave for 45 seconds. Love this healthy and versatile recipe!
Love this idea, Julie. You’ve made me hungry!
[…] French Lentil Salad with Goat Cheese from Once Upon a Chef. Hearty and light at the same time, this salad will give you energy and is perfect for lunch or dinner. You can find french lentils at Whole Foods and Fresh Market. […]
I love all of your recipes. Would love to make this for a special anniversary luncheon. I have some time constraints so can I make it the day before? Also could I serve this with baked salmon??
Thanks Jenn.
So glad you like the recipes! Yes, you can definitely make this a day ahead and I think it would pair nicely with baked salmon. Enjoy! 🙂
Yum!!! Thanks.
This is the first dish i tried with lentils- delicious.spinach is a nice addition.
This is really marvy. I think next time I’ll use a little less garlic and a little more honey as mine came out a litle strong for the goat cheese.
What do you think would make a good substitution for the carrots? Thanks.
Hi Jennifer, You could use zucchini or red bell peppers.
omg!.. this is the best lentil recipe I’ve ever had. I made it for myself for lunch. I’ve been trying to do a vegan menu 6 of 7 days. This recipe is a keeper! Thanks!
Great summer salad!
Always looking for a good meatless dish. This is a great one.
What a great salad; pretty, yummy and healthy!
I made this salad again while trying to go vegetarian for a week and I ate it all week long! I dumped it on top of spinach and snacked on it all day! So so good, love the cumin.
Cumin? Where is cumin in the recipe?
Our household is not fond of goat or feta cheese. Thoughts on substitutes?? Have the French lentils ready to go.
The only other cheese that might work here is blue cheese — if that doesn’t work, the salad will still be delicious without the cheese. Enjoy! 🙂
I made this last night as a side dish. It was fantastic and even my veggie-hating wife devoured it!
Goat cheese…yum!
It doesn’t get any better than this for a vegetarian. Lentils and goat cheese, what a great combination! The leftovers didn’t last long in my house!
Looking forward to making this for tea time…i love the addition of goat cheese
My husband and I enjoyed this. The leftovers were delicious for lunch the next day as well!
My husband loved this! He’s so sick of brussel sprouts right now. This one was unexpected with the creamy goat cheese and the crunchy carrots. Thanks!
I have made this, sometimes with minor variations, many times now. Excellent!
This recipe is a classic. After the first time we made it, I doubled batches for a few weeks straight so I could have some every day. A fantastic side or main dish, so simple and delish.
I’m always looking for new recipes that use lentils and found this one on Pinterest. Will be making it this weekend, it looks fantastic. .
Must try this one! Love goat cheese!
Made this and loved it. Reminded me of a wonderful lentil salad I enjoyed in France many years ago. Just wonderful!
Yes, I have made this dish 3 times since you posted it in January. No, it didn’t last very long each time. Yes, it works well for breakfast, lunch or dinner. FYI
The goat cheese just perfectly brings it all together. A family favorite in our house.
I love lentils and this salad is so great!!
Dear Jennifer, Just made this: Wonderful, thank you so much! You’ve got a least one fan in Europe now. Thank you again.
Looks really good! I’m going to give this a try probably this coming weekend! Looks good and I’m sure my family will love it! Thanks for sharing!
Delicious! I served it with grilled chicken and then had the leftovers with grilled shrimp a few days later–the flavor had even improved! I shared this recipe with all my girls! Healthy and yummy, great combination! Lots of exclamation points, but well-deserved 🙂
On a bed of homegrown baby greens with a poached egg on top….perfect.
I made this salad this week and it will now regularly appear in my homemade lunch rotation. It made me so happy.
I made this for dinner last night, and after the first bite I immediately put down my fork and forwarded this recipe to everyone I know who likes lentils! I will definitely be making this again and again. Thank you for yet another delicious recipe!
I tried this new recipe yesterday. Lentils are one of those power foods I need but don’t eat enough because I hadn’t been able to make them taste very good.
I was amazed by how good this tastes! Thanks Jenn! My life is improved. ; )
I made this last night for dinner with a side of your grilled chicken. I makes a perfect healthy dinner with leftovers for lunch! Thank you!
I’ve never been a huge lentil fan, but this looks just delicious. The addition of mustard– what a great idea! Thanks for the inspiration. I’ll definitely give it a try!
Jennifer! I LOVE this recipe! I saw it a while ago on SeriousEats and made it and my family gobbled it up!
Thanks again!
Meg
Mmmm looks delicious! I love goat cheese.
Any idea how long this will keep in the fridge (thinking leftovers)?
Jennifer, It will keep several days, at least. Hope you like it.
Thank you!
This looks delicious, easy to make and good for you. Thank you for sharing. I like the idea of adding goat cheese to the salad.