French Lentil Salad

French Lentil Salad is a lovely and delicious way to ring in spring!  With radishes, young green beans and baby lettuces, it’s perfect for that first dinner on the patio!

French Lentil Salad is the perfect way to ring in spring.  There’s still some cold weather heartiness happening with the lentils and bacon here but spring shows up with radishes, baby greens and the young green beans.

How to make French Lentil Salad:

• I used green lentils rather than brown for this French Lentil Salad.  They take longer to cook than brown but work better in salads because they hold together better after cooking.  Here’s more information from The Kitchn on the most common types of lentils:  What’s the Difference Between Brown, Green and Red Lentils?

• Always be sure to look lentils over for any debris such as twigs, stones or shriveled lentils.  You definitely don’t want to bite down on something like that!
• I use an inexpensive white paper plate to sort through them.  Any debris is easy to see on the white background and I can then bend the plate and “funnel” the lentils into the cooking water.
• Cook the lentils until tender but not overcooked.
• Then, crisp up the bacon.

• I tried to”get my French on” by pulling out my mandoline to slice the radishes thinly and perfectly.  That didn’t last long because radishes are small and I’m deathly afraid of slicing the top off a finger.  Just use a good sharp knife.

• The French would most likely use “haricot verts” in a recipe such as this.  “Haricot vert” is French for small, expensive green beans.  Okay, not really but yes, they’re way more expensive.  Use them if you wish, but if you’ve got some time and patience, simply dig through the green bean bin at the supermarket and pick out approximately eight ounces of the smallest ones.

• Frisee can be a little difficult to find.  You can generally find it near the specialty packaged lettuce area and sold as baby lettuces with baby romaine.  You don’t want to confuse it with escarole which has a slightly more bitter flavor.

• Add a salty bite with Kalamata or Nicoise olives, toss with an easy, classic French-style vinaigrette and…

…you’ve got this beautiful French Lentil Salad to enjoy a lovely spring evening outside!

Serve with a bowl of simple creamy tomato soup and you’ve got the perfect spring meal!

Be sure to try these other spring salad recipes:

• Lemony Lentil, Asparagus and Tomato Salad with Feta Cheese
• Roasted Beet Salad with Walnuts, Goat Cheese and Honey Balsamic Dressing
• Arugula, Egg and Asparagus Salad with Creamy Lemon Vinaigrette
• Cauliflower Artichoke Tabbouleh

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