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French lentil salad with beet and Feta on a dill vinaigrette! An incredibly delicious, healthy, and quick lentil salad – ready in 30 minutes!
This warm lentil salad tastes unbelievably delicious, is fresh, healthy, and makes an excellent light meal. Cooked beetroot and Feta give this French lentil salad even more taste, lightness, and balance the earthy lentil taste wonderfully.
Last but not least comes the Dill Vinaigrette: a super simple vinaigrette that is bursting with flavor, vibrant green color, and freshness.
The dill provides beautiful flavors and makes this salad a real eye-catcher!
I discovered the recipe for this lentil beet salad in an episode of Rachel Khoo’s “The Little Paris Kitchen“ cooking show and immediately knew that it’s a keeper! Although I adapted it slightly, the foundation was set by Rachel Khoo.
French Puy Lentils
Puy lentils (lentilles du puy), also known as French Lentils, are grown in France and have a speckled dark green bluish color. What’s unique about Puy lentils is that they retain their bite, shape, and firmness when cooked, making for a hearty salad with bite.
They should not be confused with the much lighter green lentils, which become pulpier when cooked.
Puy lentils are also excellent for making this vegan lentil Bolognese.
Vegan Option
Do you prefer a vegan lentil salad? Use this vegan feta cheese recipe instead of regular Feta! It’s made with tofu, olive oil, and herbs.
A very easy way to make dairy-free Feta at home. Must be prepared at least one day in advance.
Unfortunately, I haven’t found any vegan feta option in the supermarket that I like. Therefore, I can’t give you any recommendation on buying dairy-free Feta.
Homemade is the better choice in this case! 😉
Lentil Salad Recipe
Read through this visual step-by-step guide with lots of extra tips!
The exact quantities and everything else you need to know for the recipe can be found in the recipe card below.
- Rinse the lentils under running cold water and place them with the bay leaf and thyme, and salt in a large pot. Cover generously with water (at least 2 cups of water) and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes until tender, stirring occasionally.
- Slice the cooked beetroot very thin using a mandolin slicer or sharp knife. → I usually wear gloves to prevent purple hands for a few days! 😉
- Vinaigrette: Place all ingredients for the vinaigrette in a food processor or blender and pulse a few times. I stop as soon as all is mixed yet still a little chunky. → Don’t have a food processor? Chop the dill using a knife and mix all ingredients in a small bowl.
- As soon as the lentils are cooked, drain, remove the bay leaf and thyme, and arrange on 4 plates. Top it with beetroot slices, crumble the feta cheese over, and drizzle with the dill vinaigrette. → I love to drizzle the whole thing with a few extra splashes of olive oil, coarse sea salt, and freshly cracked black pepper!
Recipe FAQ & Tips
How long does it stay fresh? Packed in an airtight container and stored in your refrigerator, up to 2 days.
Can I use other lentils to make this recipe? You can, but I highly recommend using Puy lentils. It works too with green or brown lentils, although they are softer once cooked.
More Recipes You’ll Love:
- Red Lentil Soup
- Strawberry Spinach Salad
- Celery Root Salad with Apple & Walnuts
- Greek Quinoa Salad with Feta
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French Lentil Salad with Beet and Feta
Ingredients
French Lentil Salad
- 1 cup (200 g) French lentils
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 sprig of thyme or ½ tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 small cooked beets
- 1 cup (150 g) feta cheese
Dill Vinaigrette
- 1 bunch of (20 g) dill
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp white balsamic vinegar or white/red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- ½ tsp salt
- freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Rinse lentils under running cold water and place them with the bay leaf, thyme, and salt in a large pot. Cover generously with water (at least 2 cups of water) and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes until tender, stirring occasionally.
- Slice the cooked beetroot very thin using a mandolin slicer or sharp knife. → I usually wear cloves to prevent purple hands for a few days!
- Dressing: Place all ingredients for the dressing in a food processor or blender and pulse a few times. I stop as soon as all is mixed yet still a little chunky. → Don’t have a food processor? Chop the dill using a knife and mix all ingredients in a small bowl.
- As soon as the lentils are cooked, drain, remove the remove the bay leaf and thyme, and arrange on 4 plates. Top it with beetroot slices, crumble the feta cheese over, and drizzle with the dill vinaigrette. → I love to drizzle the salad with a few extra splashes of olive oil, coarse sea salt, and freshly cracked black pepper!
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