French Bean and Puy Lentil Salad with Vinaigrette, Soft Herbs and Pine Nuts
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Recipe type: Salad
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 2
 
A flavourful summer dish using green beans and speckled grey-ish, bluish, greenish puy lentils, dressed with a honey and grainy mustard vinaigrette, which can be enjoyed as a side dish or more of a main, depending on how you're feeling.
Ingredients
  • 100g puy lentils, rinsed
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 200g green beans, topped and tailed
  • ~30g soft herbs – parsley, dill, or tarragon or basil
  • 2 tbsp pine nuts, toasted
  • salt and pepper
Vinaigrette
  • 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus more to drizzle
  • 1 tbsp white wine or sherry vinegar
  • tsp grainy mustard
  • tsp honey
  • 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
Instructions
  1. First cook your lentils. Place lentils in a saucepan with 300ml/10fl oz water (3 x the lentil weight) and a bay leaf. Bring to the boil then reduce to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook for 22 minutes, until the lentils are soft enough to eat but retain some bite in the centre (while the lentils cook stir together the ingredients for the vinaigrette and season to taste). Turn off the heat, sit for 5 minutes, then drain, shaking off as much excess water as possible. Discard the bay leaf. Transfer to a medium-sized bowl, and toss with ¾ of the vinaigrette, then allow to cool off so no longer steaming (around 5-10 mins).
  2. Meanwhile blanch the beans in a small saucepan of salted boiling water for 3-4 minutes until al dente. Shock in cold water and shake to drip dry.
  3. Toss the cooled lentils with the herbs (leaving some to top the dish) and season to taste. Plate up on a serving platter and top with the beans. Add a little seasoning and the leftover dressing to the top of the beans, then finish with the toasted pine nuts.
Recipe by Ceri Jones Chef at https://cerijoneschef.com/green-bean-and-puy-lentil-salad-with-vinaigrette-soft-herbs-and-pine-nuts/