Friday, July 16, 2010

Easy Lentil Salad With Tarragon-Mustard Dressing

I love these little lentils. Don't the swirls of color remind you of a Van Gogh painting?

And, I love this lentil salad, with a tangy tarragon-mustard dressing. It makes a great addition to a summer salad, and most of the ingredients are probably already in your refrigerator or pantry.

Dressing adapted from this potato salad recipe.

Ingredients
1 cup lentils, picked over and rinsed (I used French lentils)
3 cups water
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 scant tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 and 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 shallot, washed and minced
3 teaspoons dried tarragon, crushed (or 2 tablespoons fresh tarragon, washed and minced)
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
black pepper to taste

Place the lentils and water in a small saucepan. Cover, bring to a boil and then reduce the heat and simmer until the lentils are cooked but still firm (this will probably be between 15 and 20 minutes, depending on the type of lentils you are using).

While the lentils are cooking, whisk the remaining ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.

Drain the cooked lentils and place them in a medium-sized bowl.

Pour the dressing over the warm lentils and toss to coat.

Serve warm or chilled.

10 comments:

Monet said...

Lentils are such nutrition powerhouses. I think that these little guys look amazing (much prettier than the lentils I buy) and I'm sure this salad tastes great and makes you feel even better

Rose said...

Those lentils are pretty...and now that you mention it, they are reminiscent of Van Gogh strokes. What sort of lentils are they?

The salad sounds wonderful; I love the combo of tarragon and mustard.

Beatrice said...

Hi, Rose. They were labeled "French lentils" in the bulk section of the grocery store. I don't think they are the famous Puy French lentils, though.

Reeni said...

I never saw such pretty lentils before! I love what you did with them! The dressing sounds excellent.

Dine With Donna said...

Lentils are a frequent dish on my table. This is such a neat idea and great recipe. I will be trying this recipe soon.

Rowie said...

I too am looking for good vegetarian meals, and I hope to find them on your blog, which I just discovered! Excited to see what you come up with!

Healthy. Happy. Well. said...

What a gorgeous salad! I love the simplicity of the ingredients.

sweetlife said...

loely salad and the dressing only makes this tasiter...love the first pic..
sweetlife

mike said...

great pic

Sorrel said...

I just made this and it's yummy! Good for rainy spring days, too! Thanks!