French Lentil Salad Broccolini Eggs (Printable)

Nutrient-rich French lentils paired with broccolini and soft-cooked eggs in Dijon vinaigrette

# What You’ll 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

# How-To 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 into the water 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 until emulsified.
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 Tips:

01 -
  • It tastes even better the next day when the lentils have soaked up all that tangy vinaigrette, making it perfect for meal prep without feeling like you're eating leftovers.
  • The soft-cooked eggs are non-negotiable once you taste that jammy yolk breaking into the warm lentils and the way it catches the vinaigrette.
  • You can throw it together in under an hour, which means it fits into real life instead of just weekend cooking fantasies.
02 -
  • Soft-cooked eggs with a truly jammy yolk are a game-changer, but it only works if you start with room-temperature eggs and have an actual ice bath waiting—this is one of those things that taught me precision actually makes a difference.
  • The vinaigrette is better made in the bowl you're serving in so you don't have extra dishes, and it's better made just before you add the warm lentils because warm food helps it emulsify and stick to everything.
  • Don't skip draining the lentils well because excess water will dilute your beautiful vinaigrette and turn your salad from vibrant to soggy, which is exactly what you're trying to avoid.
03 -
  • Room temperature eggs cook more predictably than cold eggs straight from the fridge, so take them out while you're prepping everything else—this is the tiny detail that made my eggs consistently perfect.
  • Tossing warm lentils with vinaigrette while they're still hot means they actually absorb the dressing instead of just sitting in it, which is the difference between a good salad and one that tastes like something from the day before.
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