French Lentils
French lentils, often labeled Puy lentils, are small, dark green-speckled lentils prized for holding their shape and texture through cooking. They're a hallmark of French bistro cooking, especially paired with pork and duck.
How to buy
Look for lentils that are small, dark, and uniformly colored, often with a distinctive mottled green-blue tint if they're true Puy lentils grown in volcanic soil. They need no presoaking and cook faster than most dried beans.
How to store
Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry pantry, where they'll keep for a year or more. Cooked lentils keep in the fridge for about 4-5 days and freeze well for a few months.
Culinary profile
- Flavor
- Earthy with a mild peppery edge, slightly more delicate and less assertive than standard green lentils, which is part of why they're favored in refined French preparations.
- Texture
- Holds its shape firmly through cooking, staying distinct and a little toothsome rather than breaking down, even after a long simmer.
- Aroma
- Mild and earthy, taking on thyme, bay leaf, and smoked pork especially well.
How to prepare
- Simmered with aromatics — Cooked gently with onion, carrot, and a bouquet garni until tender but intact.
- Tossed into warm salads — Cooked, then tossed warm with mustard vinaigrette, shallot, and herbs.
- Braised with pork — Simmered alongside salt pork, bacon, or sausage, which flavors the lentils as they cook.
- Served under roasted meats — Used as a bed for duck confit or roasted sausages, soaking up their juices.
Classic dishes
American
- American farm-to-table Puy lentil salad — A modern American restaurant salad built on French lentils, roasted vegetables, and a sharp vinaigrette.
French
- Salade de lentilles — A classic French lentil salad dressed with mustard vinaigrette, shallot, and parsley.
- Lentilles au petit salé — Lentils braised with salt pork, a rustic bistro classic.
- Saucisse de Toulouse aux lentilles — Toulouse sausage served over a bed of tender braised lentils.
- Lentilles au lard fumé — Lentils simmered with smoked bacon and onion until richly flavored.
- Warm lentil salad with duck confit — A bistro dish pairing rich duck confit with warm, mustard-dressed lentils.
- Soupe de lentilles — A simple French lentil soup, often finished with a swirl of cream.
- Lentils braised in red wine — Lentils simmered with carrot and red wine for a deeper, more savory side dish.
- Lentil salad with goat cheese and walnuts — A modern bistro salad pairing earthy lentils with creamy goat cheese and toasted walnuts.
- Côte de porc aux lentilles — A pan-seared pork chop served over lentils finished with the pan juices.
- French lamb and lentil stew — A countryside-style stew of lamb shoulder braised with lentils and root vegetables.
- French lentil and smoked trout salad — A composed salad pairing smoked trout with lentils, crème fraîche, and chives.
- Lentils with foie gras — A luxury bistro pairing where seared foie gras sits over warm, mustard-dressed lentils.
Mediterranean
- Mediterranean Puy lentil salad with feta — French lentils tossed with feta, herbs, and olive oil for a Mediterranean-leaning salad.
British & Irish
- British gastropub lentil and sausage dish — A pub-style plate of sausages served over braised French lentils.
Substitutions
- Green Lentils — A very close substitute, just slightly less delicate in flavor and a bit less firm once cooked.