French Lentil Salad With Broccolini and Soft-Cooked Eggs (Printable Version)

Nutrient-rich bowl featuring tender French lentils, crisp broccolini, and soft-cooked eggs with tangy Dijon vinaigrette.

# What You'll Need:

→ Lentils and Vegetables

01 - 1 cup French green lentils, 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

# How To Make It:

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 in 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, garlic, salt, and pepper to create the vinaigrette.
05 - Add warm lentils, broccolini, red onion, and parsley to the bowl with vinaigrette. Toss gently to combine and coat evenly.
06 - Divide salad among plates. Halve the soft-cooked eggs and place on top. Sprinkle with goat cheese or feta if using. Finish with extra cracked pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes fancy but comes together in under 45 minutes, so you can actually make it on a weeknight without losing your mind.
  • The soft egg yolk acts like a built-in sauce, which means less fussing and more actual enjoyment of what's on your plate.
  • It's naturally vegetarian and gluten-free, but honestly, everyone at the table will be too busy eating to notice or care about labels.
02 -
  • Don't overcook the lentils even a minute past tender, or you'll have a mushy situation instead of individual little nuggets that actually taste good.
  • The ice bath for the eggs is not optional if you want that perfect jammy center—skip it and you'll get a fully hard yolk, which defeats the whole purpose.
03 -
  • Make the vinaigrette first and let it sit while you cook everything else—it tastes better when the flavors have a moment to mingle.
  • If your eggs crack while cooking, that's not a disaster—they'll still taste good, they'll just look a little rustic, which is honestly more honest anyway.
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