This is a most unusual salad that is absolutely as delightful as it is nutritious. I love to use the French or Italian lentils in this salad because they hold their shape when cooked, which is perfect for a cold salad. The sweet potato is raw but you would never know it as it is diced very finely and gives a sweet crunchy flavor. I love to serve this salad with my beautifully simple-grilled large prawns! I just marinade them with organic extra virgin olive oil, and lots of fresh mint and Italian parsley, coarse sea salt, fresh ground pepper and serve them with fresh lemon and….WOW, delizioso! I will be making this dish, using local grown Italian lentils for our guests on our culinary trip to Sicily next month, I can’t wait to get their reaction!
- 1 cup dry French or Italian lentils
- ¼ raw sweet potato, peeled and diced finely (see photo)
- Dressing:
- Juice of 1 lemon and zest
- 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Tbsp fresh chopped thyme
- 2 shallots, peeled and finely chopped
- ½ tsp salt
- Fresh pepper
- MARINADE FOR SHRIMP (this is for 8 large prawns, unpeeled)
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil (cold pressed)
- ½ cup fresh mint, chopped
- ½ cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
- ¼ tsp coarse sea salt
- fresh ground pepper to taste
- 1 large lemon, cut in quarters
- Place the dry lentils in 4 cups boiling water and cook for 15 minutes, or until tender (but not mushy--they should be “al dente”), uncovered.
- Drain in a colander and rinse under cold water and drain again well.
- Place all the dressing ingredients (except for the salt and pepper for now) in a small bowl and whisk well.
- Place lentils in a medium bowl and add the finely diced raw sweet potato and the dressing and stir gently to coat well.
- Cover the bowl with plastic cellophane and place refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
- When ready to serve, add the salt and pepper and stir gently.
- FOR THE SHRIMP:
- Rinse the shrimp with their shell on and dry thoroughly.
- Using small cooking scissors, cut the top of the shell of each shrimp so that you can devein it--DO NOT PEEL the shell!
- Place the olive oil, fresh chopped mint, parsley, salt and pepper in a medium bowl and whisk.
- Place the deveined shrimp in the marinade and refrigerate until ready to grill.
- Place on a hot grill and cook for 5 minutes on each side.
- Sprinkle with a pinch of coarse sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste, right before serving.
- Serve with fresh lemon.
Liz Feldman, MD says
October 12, 2018 at 5:59 pmYummm! I heard your husband speak yesterday and immediately went to your website. Thank you!! Wow!
And for our Shabbat dinner tonight, I have made the Carrot Cider chicken, an adaptation of this French lentil salad (increased the sweet potato, cooked it for an older guest who can’t eat raw stuff), along with some roasted asparagus. ANd I loved the chicken video complete with smoke alarm.
Thank you so much!
Catherine Katz says
October 12, 2018 at 6:47 pmaw Liz, that makes me so happy to hear!!! Shabbat shalom!! 🙂
juice tetra pack says
August 11, 2017 at 8:16 amHey, very nice site. I came across this on Google, and I am stoked that I did. I will definitely be
coming back here more often. Wish I could add to the conversation and bring a bit more to the table,
but am just taking in as much info as I can at the moment. Thanks for sharing.
tetra pak juice
Keep Posting:)
Catherine Katz says
August 11, 2017 at 11:01 amThank you, so glad to have you at the Cuisinicity table! Bon appétit! 🙂
Denise says
January 3, 2017 at 9:36 pmThis salad is perfect! The dressing is quite unique, light and delicious but the crunch of the raw sweet potato really made it special.
I used a yam and wasn’t sure if that was what you intended because people often mix these root vegetables up.
Thank you for another delicious recipe.
I did have a very hard time trying to figure out what French lentil was. I did some research and narrowed it down to one of the green lentils available in my stores.
Catherine Katz says
January 4, 2017 at 11:02 amThank you Denise!! You did it perfectly all around! YAY!!!
sbo says
June 12, 2015 at 4:15 amI agree about it and very interested.
salad says
June 2, 2015 at 2:46 amI love to eat salad is very healthy. Nutritional information
Barbara Thomson says
April 20, 2015 at 11:49 pmCatherine, I almost didn’t cook the lentils! You do mean cook in boiling water not just sit in it?
Catherine Katz says
April 21, 2015 at 6:56 amOh my goodness, Barbara, I am glad you did! You are right, my phrasing is unclear but yes, I mean cook in boxing water and fixing the wording right now! good catch!
SBOBET says
January 14, 2015 at 4:24 amA beautiful combination of ingredients! I should eat more lentils, this salad would be a great way to add them to my diet.
Catherine Katz says
January 14, 2015 at 7:15 amYes Sbobet!…and you’ll be surprised where else you find lentils in my recipes” some of my soups of course, but more subtle and absolutely luscious with lentils are my turkey burgers, meatballs and……drum roll please…..my flourless chocolate cake!!!! Seriously, worth checking out-YUM and FILLED with lentils!
Ihjaz Ahmad says
November 28, 2014 at 7:08 amOh my goodness, this looks delicious! I’m definitely making this! thanks for sharing! A healthier option for a family favorite.
John Breeden says
October 16, 2014 at 11:05 pmI remember buying this dish at a Carrefour in Paris. We stayed in Le Marais quartier where there’s such a rich array of both ethnic and Parisian food choices available. We purchased the dish time and again as takeout – and we enjoyed it immensely after a day of walking tours and riding the Batobus. Just what we needed to take to our apartment hotel accommodations. So, what a discovery this is! It’s on tomorrow’s menu.
John Breeden says
October 17, 2014 at 9:00 pmMy daughter’s music teacher, who loves lentils, gave it two thumbs up. My daughter (always tough but honest) didn’t enjoy it as much, however. I guess one must like eating lentils…. My wife says 8/10 after adding a bit more lemon and suggested adding some finely diced lox.
Catherine Katz says
October 17, 2014 at 10:45 pmpretty good!
Catherine Katz says
October 17, 2014 at 10:48 pmI love le Marais and I love that this little dish reminded you of Paris!
Catherine Katz says
September 10, 2014 at 7:26 pmI am sorry to hear that Chris! What else have you tried?
Chris G says
September 10, 2014 at 7:24 pmMy wife and I didn’t care for this at all, sorry. Everything else has been great.