Bright Lentil Salad With Apples, Fennel, and Herbs Recipe

Updated May 15, 2019

This is a bright, hearty, and optimistic salad. Admittedly, it's also a total knock-off of my go-to dish at my favorite French restaurant in London, La Petite Maison, which specializes in taking Provençal peasant food and reinventing it at the height of sophistication. The salad is simple, but unexpected: firm little du Puy lentils, finely diced apple and fennel, some bright herbs (I use Greek basil and fresh thyme), and a very fresh, loose vinaigrette made from olive oil and cider vinegar. It's nice to know that some of the most basic food—a fruit, a vegetable, and the lowly, humble lentil—can come together in something unexpected and above the ordinary. It's like a Cinderella salad.

Recipe Details

Bright Lentil Salad With Apples, Fennel, and Herbs Recipe

Active 5 mins

Total 30 mins

Serves 4 servings

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Ingredients

1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon water
1 medium fennel bulb, finely diced (about 1 cup)
1 apple (recommend Pink Lady), peeled and finely diced (about 1 cup)
8 ounces baby plum tomatoes, finely diced
2 (14.5-ounce) cans Puy lentils, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
2 tablespoons fresh basil

Directions

In a large bowl, whisk together the vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper until the sugar dissolves. Add in the olive oil, and whisk until emulsified. Add the water, and whisk to loosen. Add the fennel, apple, and tomatoes, toss to combine, and allow to sit in the vinaigrette for 15 minutes. Finally, add the lentils and fresh herbs, and allow to sit another 15 minutes. Serve.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
244	Calories
7g	Fat
34g	Carbs
12g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories	244
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 7g	10%
Saturated Fat 1g	5%
Cholesterol 0mg	0%
Sodium 256mg	11%
Total Carbohydrate 34g	12%
Dietary Fiber 12g	44%
Total Sugars 8g
Protein 12g
Vitamin C 15mg	74%
Calcium 49mg	4%
Iron 5mg	27%
Potassium 739mg	16%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.