Lentil Salad with Roasted Red Peppers

This simple salad of French lentils with kale tossed with a zippy lemon vinaigrette and topped with tangy goat cheese is as fast as it is delicious.

Total Time: 35 mins
Servings: 4

This salad, as its name suggests, can be served warm, but it’s versatile enough to enjoy at room temperature or chilled. Vibrant and cozy, it’s a salad that comes together in only 30 minutes — lentils, dressing, kale, and all. 2024 F&W Best New Chef Karyn Tomlinson of Myriel in St. Paul, Minnesota, uses French lentils, a small variety with a slight piquant finish that are hearty enough to retain their shape even when cooked for long periods of time. They don’t go mushy, making them the prime choice for salads such as this one. Add the chopped kale to the pot of lentils, and let the residual heat soften and wilt the hearty green. The soft, tangy goat cheese and sweet roasted red peppers balance out the flavors for a sweet, zippy, smoky dish.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What are French lentils?

  Generally speaking, lentils are classified into four categories: brown/green, red/yellow, and specialty, like beluga and French lentils. French lentils are small, and dark green, with a slightly piquant finish. They’re also known as Puy, du Puy, or le Puy, and are renowned for keeping their shape after long periods of cooking so they don’t become mushy. This makes French lentils perfect not just for salads but soups, including French Lentil and Vegetable Soup and Ratatouille Lentil Soup. 

• What are mustard seeds, and how do I cook with them?

  Look into a jar of coarse- or whole-grain mustard, and you’ll find seeds in more than one color, typically yellow or brown. These are the edible seeds from a variety of mustard plants, with the black, brown, and white varieties available at most markets. Black mustard seeds, from the Brassica nigra plant, are traditionally used in hot mustard spreads such as Dijon and pickling brines. Brown mustard seeds, from the Brassica juncea plant, are also used in hot mustard spreads in addition to dressings, sauces, and marinades. White mustard seeds — also known as yellow mustard seeds — derived from the Sinapis alba plant, also have similar uses. All three types of mustard seeds can be extracted for their oil, offering different flavor profiles to a variety of dishes. 

Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

Rinse the lentils to help remove the naturally occurring dust or debris. Using the heat of the lentils in the broth to wilt the kale is efficient and easy.

Suggested pairing

Pair this meal-worthy salad with a light-bodied Pinot Noir, like Oxlee Graham Mabel’s Alder Springs Vineyard.

Make ahead

The salad can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Store the vinaigrette in a separate airtight container in the refrigerator, and whisk well before serving. Top the salad with the roasted red bell pepper, goat cheese, and remaining vinaigrette just before serving.

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups chicken stock

• 1 cup  dried French lentils, rinsed

• 1 tablespoon kosher salt, divided

• 3 tablespoons lemon juice

• 1 tablespoon minced shallot

• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper

• 5 tablespoons olive oil

• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill

• 1 tablespoon mustard seeds

• 1 bunch lacinato kale, stemmed and chopped (about 6 cups)

• 2/3 cup drained jarred roasted red bell peppers, coarsely chopped

• 4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled

Directions

1. Bring stock, lentils, and 2 teaspoons salt to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer until lentils are tender, about 25 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, whisk together lemon juice, shallot, black pepper, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in olive oil until thickened and well combined. Whisk in parsley and dill. Set vinaigrette aside.

3. Heat a small skillet over medium; add mustard seeds, and toast, stirring often, until seeds begin to pop, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir seeds into lentil mixture. Add kale, and stir until wilted; if needed, cover saucepan and let stand 1 to 2 minutes. Pour lentil mixture through a fine wire-mesh strainer; discard liquid.

4. Transfer lentil mixture to a large bowl, and stir in 1/4 cup vinaigrette. Top with roasted red bell peppers and goat cheese, and drizzle with remaining vinaigrette.

Originally appeared in Food & Wine magazine, December 2024 / January 2025