Puy Lentil Salad With Goat Cheese and Peppers

Puy lentil salad with roasted peppers, red onions and soft fresh goat's cheese makes for a glorious light vegetarian meal or even a side.

You can go full-on cook it at home from scratch, or cheat and buy everything cooked, throw it together, and I have you covered in the FAQ section!

"French" Lentil Salad

Lentils are a glorious, cheap and versatile staple in the kitchen, and as a result, I cook with them a lot!

They feature in dishes as diverse as the classic Indian chicken dhansak, to my spicy carrot and lentil soup, and my vegan lentil ragu, to a peach and feta cheese salad and an asparagus and lentil salad as well as a glorious lentil and bacon soup.

Here they are the stars of a salad of roasted peppers, goat's cheese, red onions and puy lentils are superb for a dish like this.

They are named after the region in France where they are grown.

They retain their shape like green or brown lentils and have a glorious colour and a subtle peppery flavour.

The sweetness of the roasted peppers and the saltiness of goat's cheese is offset by red wine vinegar in a dish that is just as good as a side as it is as a light main course.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I serve this warm?

You can, but it is better served as a cold lentil salad as far as I am concerned.

If you serve it warm, the soft goat's cheese melts, and it all becomes a bit of a mushy mess. If I were to serve this warm, I would shallow fry some halloumi cheese cubes.

Can I use prepared ingredients?

Yes, you can really hurry up this dish if you are prepared to pay a premium.

Ready-cooked puy lentils are really very good, and we are adding lots of flavours. However, they do cost 3-4 times as much as buying raw lentils.

Roasted pepper antipasti would be the second prepared ingredient. Again, these cost 3-5 times as much as the raw ingredients.

So you pay your money, you take your choice, a salad ready to roll with no cooking at a 3-5 times cost premium. Obviously, you need to factor in the cooking costs.

Can I prepare this in advance?

Yes, this will sit fine in the fridge for 3-4 days. It is a dish that dates back to packed lunches for work for me, and the last time I stepped foot in an office was over 15 years ago!

Can I use a different cheese?

Absolutely, go wild, as I mentioned above, if I were to serve this warm, I would use halloumi cheese. But it is awesome with everything from feta cheese to blue cheese.

Can I use different lentils?

Yes, this is great, made with brown or green lentils or even black beluga lentils. Be aware that changing the lentil type could impact cooking times.

Serving Suggestions

This puy lentil salad is typically a light meal or a lunch dish for me and usually gets served with a side of bread.

I'm quite happy with a bit of focaccia or ciabatta, but my wife always asks for garlic bread.

This recipe is also superb when served as a side dish.

I've served it with everything from a perfectly cooked rump steak to pan-fried salmon and leftover roast chicken to a host of different types of sausage.

Equipment Used

I only mention brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section.

• Hob/stovetop.
• Oven or air fryer, I prefer the latter of late.
• Baking tray with a lip that will fit in an air fryer if you are using that option. If not, any size is fine.
• Small bowl.
• Cling film.
• A combination of weighing scales, measuring cups and spoons.
• Chopping board.
• Kitchen knife.
• Mixing bowls and spoons.