Lentil salad with Bleu d’Auvergne and tarragon
Keep the lentils whole and the cheese recognisable. In this salad, small cubes of Bleu d’Auvergne, finely chopped shallot and tarragon each bring something different to a simple bowl of lentils.
Editorial team Euro Magazine ·
The interprofessional organisation for Bleu d’Auvergne published a lentil salad recipe using this cheese in a recipe booklet. That is the regional link for our own version with green lentils and white wine vinegar. This is our adaptation of that recipe idea, not a centuries-old regional dish.
Times are guidelines; preheat during preparation where possible. Allow extra time to cool food before storing it.
Equipment
A saucepan, a fine sieve and a mixing bowl.
Ingredients
- 250 g dried green lentils
- 1 l water
- 150 g Bleu d’Auvergne, made with pasteurised milk
- 1 shallot, about 40 g
- 5 g fresh tarragon leaves
- 30 ml olive oil
- 15 ml white wine vinegar
- 1 g salt
- 0.5 g black pepper
Method
- Rinse the lentils in a fine sieve and remove any small stones. Put them in the pan with 1 l cold water and bring to the boil. Simmer gently for 25 to 30 minutes; follow a longer packet cooking time if your lentils need it. They should be tender without falling apart into a purée.
- Meanwhile, peel and finely chop the shallot. Wash the tarragon and finely chop the leaves. Whisk the oil, vinegar, salt and pepper together and mix with the shallot.
- Drain the cooked lentils thoroughly and spread them in a shallow dish. Leave to steam off for about 20 minutes until lukewarm. Mix with the dressing and tarragon.
- Cut the cheese into cubes of about 1 cm and gently fold into the lukewarm lentils so the cubes remain recognisable. Serve immediately; if keeping the salad, cool it quickly.
Storage
Refrigerate the salad, covered, at 4 °C within 2 hours of cooking and eat within 2 days. Follow any shorter storage advice on the cheese packaging.
Allergens
Contains milk. White wine vinegar may contain sulphites; check the label.
Our own editorial adaptation for home cooking; not kitchen-tested. Quantities and timings are guides; also check the signs of doneness described.