French Lentil Salad Broccolini Eggs (Print Version)

Tender lentils, crisp broccolini, and jammy eggs with zesty Dijon dressing

# What You 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 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
08 - 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
09 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
10 - 1 small garlic clove, minced
11 - 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
12 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

→ To Finish

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

# Steps:

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, discard bay leaf, and set aside.
02 - While lentils cook, 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 rinse under cold water to stop cooking.
03 - Bring water to a boil in a small saucepan. Gently lower eggs and simmer for 7 minutes. Transfer eggs to an ice bath for 2 minutes, then peel carefully.
04 - In a large bowl, whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, salt, and pepper until emulsified.
05 - Add warm lentils, broccolini, red onion, and parsley to the vinaigrette bowl. Toss gently to combine and coat evenly.
06 - Divide salad among plates. Halve soft-cooked eggs and place on top. Sprinkle with goat cheese or feta if using. Finish with freshly cracked black pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's the kind of salad that actually satisfies you, not just fills the vegetable quota on your plate.
  • Those soft-cooked eggs break into the warm lentils and create their own sauce, making the whole thing feel luxurious without any fuss.
  • You can eat it warm, room temperature, or even cold the next day, and it somehow gets better as it sits.
02 -
  • Don't overcook the lentils by even a few minutes—they go from tender to mushy faster than you'd think, and that texture is everything here.
  • The ice bath on the broccolini isn't optional; it stops the cooking immediately and keeps that bright green color and slight crunch that makes the salad feel fresh.
03 -
  • Buy your lentils from somewhere with good turnover; old lentils take forever to soften and can stay chalky no matter how long you simmer them.
  • Mince your garlic fine and let it sit in the oil for a minute before whisking the vinaigrette together; it mellows slightly and distributes more evenly.
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