French Lentil Salad Broccolini Eggs (Printer-friendly)

Tender French lentils with crisp broccolini and jammy eggs in tangy Dijon vinaigrette.

# What You'll Need:

→ Lentils and Vegetables

01 - 1 cup French green lentils (lentilles du Puy), rinsed
02 - 1 bay leaf
03 - 8 oz broccolini, trimmed and halved
04 - 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
05 - 1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped

→ Eggs

06 - 4 large eggs

→ Vinaigrette

07 - 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
08 - 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
09 - 1 tsp Dijon mustard
10 - 1 small garlic clove, minced
11 - 1/2 tsp sea salt
12 - 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

→ To Finish

13 - 1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese or feta (optional)
14 - Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

# Directions:

01 - Combine lentils, bay leaf, and 4 cups water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 20-25 minutes until lentils are just tender. Drain well, discard bay leaf, and set aside.
02 - Bring a separate pot of salted water to a boil. Add broccolini and blanch for 2-3 minutes until bright green and crisp-tender. Drain and immediately rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process.
03 - Bring water to a boil in a small saucepan. Gently lower eggs into the water and simmer for exactly 7 minutes. Transfer eggs to an ice bath for 2 minutes to stop cooking, then peel carefully.
04 - In a large bowl, whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic, salt, and pepper until emulsified and well combined.
05 - Add warm lentils, broccolini, red onion, and parsley to the bowl with the vinaigrette. Toss gently to combine and coat evenly with dressing.
06 - Divide salad among plates. Halve the soft-cooked eggs and arrange on top. Sprinkle with goat cheese or feta if using. Finish with extra cracked black pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The contrast between warm spiced lentils and crisp bright broccolini creates this perfect texture dance
  • That moment when you break the egg and the yolk mixes with the Dijon vinaigrette is absolutely magical
02 -
  • The key is tossing the lentils with the vinaigrette while they are still warm so they really drink up all those flavors
  • Timing matters with those eggs, seven minutes gives you that perfect jammy consistency but even thirty seconds can change everything
03 -
  • Toast your lentils in a dry pan for two minutes before adding water, it deepens their nutty flavor significantly
  • Add a splash of the pasta cooking water to your vinaigrette if it needs more body or saltiness
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