French Lentil Salad
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Hearty green lentils form the base of this French Lentil Salad, while crisp frisée lettuce, green beans, smoky bacon, briny Kalamata olives, and peppery radishes add flavor and texture. Toss everything in the delicious Dijon-and-lemon vinaigrette for a dish that’s bright and refreshing!
Why This Recipe is a Keeper!
Originating from the South of France, lentil salad is a classic recipe often served as an appetizer or for lunch at markets and restaurants.
Traditional French lentil salad is often quite lentil-heavy. This version, however, highlights fresh late spring and summer produce in a salad that is both satisfying and light. While easy to customize, the combination of fresh items like frisée lettuce, blanched green beans, and shaved radishes with richer, savory elements like bacon and Kalamata olives creates a particularly vibrant and flavorful dish.
This French Lentil Salad recipe is:
- Seasonal: The tender greens, shaved radishes, and green beans shine for the ideal warm-weather lunch or accompaniment to a leisurely outdoor supper.
- Fresh and Bright: A delicious lemony mustard dressing ties it all together, adding a lively, tangy note.
- Customizable: Personalize this salad by swapping out or adding ingredients based on your preferences or what you have on hand, whether that’s extra herbs or seasonal vegetables. This recipe can also be easily made vegetarian or vegan by omitting the bacon or using a plant-based alternative.
- Make-Ahead: Frisée lettuce holds up well and doesn’t wilt under the bright, acidic dressing if you wait to add it to this salad until you’re ready to serve.
Whether served as a light lunch, a starter, or alongside grilled meats and seafood, this French Lentil Salad is a fresh take on a classic. With its balance of hearty lentils, crisp vegetables, savory accents, and a bright dressing, it’s equally at home on a casual weeknight table or at a summer gathering.
How to Make FRENCH LENTIL SALAD:
Recipe Ingredients:
Here’s everything you’ll need to make this lentil salad recipe. The exact quantities are on the recipe card below.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions:
- Green Lentils: Green lentils take longer to cook, but they work better in this French Lentil Salad because they hold together better after cooking than brown lentils. You can use brown as well, though, if that’s what you have, just make sure not to overcook them. French “puy” lentils are traditional; however, you’ll pay more.
- Bay Leaf: The bay leaf is added to the cooking water with the lentils to add a subtle, aromatic flavor.
- Bacon: The French use “lardons,” typically made from ventrèche, a salt-cured, unsmoked pork belly that is often rolled before being sliced into thick strips or cubes. It can be hard to find in the U.S., however, supermarket bacon is a great substitute.
- Green Beans: I recommend using haricot vert green beans, a French variety that is longer and thinner than conventional green beans. If you can’t find haricot verts, you can use regular green beans. Select smaller beans from the bin if possible. Although you can use larger or thicker green beans, they may require a slightly longer cooking time. Trim the green beans and cut them into 1 to 2-inch pieces.
- Kalamata Olives: These dark, briny olives lend a salty, slightly tangy flavor. You can use Nicoise olives instead, as they provide a similar salty flavor.
- Greens: Frisée is the perfect green for this French Lentil Salad. The tender but sturdy leaves hold up well to the dressing without wilting, adding a slightly bitter, crisp note to the salad. A spring mix of greens can be used instead.
- White Wine Vinegar: White wine vinegar is made from white wine, so it has a more complex flavor than white distilled vinegar. Red wine vinegar or champagne vinegar can be used as a substitute.
- Lemon Juice: About one tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice adds a fresh, citrusy brightness that enhances the overall flavor and prevents the dressing from tasting one-note from the vinegar alone.
Step-By-Step Instructions:
- Gather and prep all the ingredients.
- Whisk dressing ingredients together in a bowl. Set aside so the flavors marry while preparing the rest of the salad.
- Prepare an ice bath. Bring a medium-sized pot of salted water to a boil. Add the green beans and cook 1 minute or until they turn bright green. Remove with a slotted spoon and place in the ice bath. Keep the cooking water.
- Add the lentils and bay leaf to the salted water and cook on high for 20 to 25 minutes or until the lentils are tender but not falling apart. Drain the lentils in a sieve or colander and cool under cold tap water. Drain well, then transfer to a large bowl.
- While the lentils boil, cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
- Add the green beans, radishes, olives, and bacon.
- Pour the dressing over the lentils and vegetables as needed and stir. (You may not need all the dressing as you don’t want it soggy.)
- Place the frisee in a large serving bowl or platter. Top with the lentil mixture. Gently toss to combine. Serve immediately with additional dressing on the side.
Chef Tips and Tricks:
- For lentil salads like this French Lentil Salad, I like to use green lentils because they hold their shape better after cooking than brown lentils do.
- Before cooking, always inspect your lentils for any debris, such as twigs, stones, or shriveled lentils. I find it helpful to use a white paper plate to sort through them because the debris is easy to spot against the white background. Once sorted, I bend the plate to funnel the lentils into the cooking water.
Recipe FAQs:
Green lentils hold their shape better after cooking and have a firmer texture, which is more ideal for salads. Other good options are Puy (from France) or black beluga lentils. You can use brown, but keep an eye on them so they don’t get overcooked. I don’t recommend using red lentils — they tend to become mushy.
Yes! This recipe is still hearty and satisfying because of the lentils, so to make this salad vegan, simply omit the bacon or use a plant-based option.
Yes, although I recommend preparing the components and then tossing them with the dressing just before serving to keep everything fresh. You can prepare the lentils, bacon, and green beans 1 to 2 days ahead of time, and the dressing up to 2 to 3 days in advance.
Serve with:
- Easy Chicken and Sausage Cassoulet
- 40 Clove Garlic Chicken
- Boneless Beef Short Ribs (Bourguignon Style)
- Mediterranean Fish Recipe en Papillote
More great French-Inspired Salad recipes!
Get all my side salad recipes at Side Salads – From A Chef’s Kitchen.
French Lentil Salad
Ingredients
Dressing
- 1 small shallot, peeled and minced (2 tablespoons)
- 1 large clove garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon
- 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
- 1/2 small lemon, juiced (approximately 1 tablespoon)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Salad
- Salt
- 1/2 pound young green beans (haricot verts), trimmed and cut into 1 to 2-inch pieces (2 – 2 1/2 cups)
- 1 cup uncooked green lentils, or uncooked brown lentils
- 1 large bay leaf
- 4 ounces bacon, diced
- 8-10 radishes, thinly sliced (approximately 1 cup)
- 1/2 cup pitted and halved Kalamata olives, or Nicoise
- 2-3 cups frisee lettuce or spring mix
Instructions
Dressing
- Whisk dressing ingredients together in a bowl. Set aside so the flavors marry while preparing the rest of the salad.
Salad
- Prepare an ice bath.
- Bring a medium-sized pot of salted water to a boil. Add the green beans and cook 1 minute or until they turn bright green. Remove with a slotted spoon and place in the ice bath. Keep the cooking water.
- Add the lentils and bay leaf to the salted water and cook on high for 20-25 minutes or until the lentils are tender but not falling apart.
- While the lentils boil, cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
- Drain the lentils in a sieve or colander and cool under cold tap water. Drain well, then transfer to a large bowl. Add the green beans, radishes, olives, and bacon.
- TO SERVE: Pour the dressing over the lentils and vegetables as needed and stir. (You may not need all the dressing as you don't want it soggy.) Place the frisee in a large serving bowl or platter. Top with the lentil mixture. Gently toss to combine. Serve immediately with additional dressing on the side.
Notes
- Green lentils take longer to cook than brown ones, but they work better in salads because they hold together better after cooking.
- Always look lentils over for any debris, such as twigs, stones, or shriveled lentils.
- The lentils, bacon, and green beans can be cooked 1-2 days ahead.
- The dressing can be made 2-3 days ahead of time.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are automatically calculated using unbranded products and are estimates only. Actual results may vary based on ingredients used and portion sizes. Adjust as needed for dietary restrictions, allergies, or health concerns.
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