Recipe developed and contributed by Maureen Gualtieri
DFC’s Wasabi mustard is the sleeper agent of my kitchen, ready for use for any application I’d normally use Dijon for – but with way more pizzazz! This month, a classic French salad gets the wasabi treatment, combining crunchy cucumbers, sweet tomatoes and hearty lentils for a filling side or main. Make it a mission to find French lentils (or Du Puy lentils) for this. They’re not only a gorgeous mottled green, they importantly keep their shape after cooking, giving this salad an excellent texture. Enjoy it with a crusty baguette and a big slice of brie, preferably on a patio!
French Lentil Salad
(Yield: 4 servings)
1 c (200g) french lentils
2 medium cloves (approx 10g) garlic, peeled
1 bouillon cube of choice, or concentrate equivalent to 1 cube
2 small (approx 150g) mini or Persian cucumbers
1/2 pint (approx 180g) cherry tomatoes
2 sprigs fresh thyme, or to taste
3 tbsp (35ml) red wine vinegar
2 tbsp (20ml) good drizzling olive oil
generous pinches of kosher salt and black pepper
1 tsp (9ml) DFC’s Wasabi mustard
Sort your lentils to remove any stones or other debris, then tip into a medium saucepan. Add one of your whole garlic cloves and the bouillon cube (or equivalent). Fill the saucepan with water to a level a couple inches above the lentils. Set on stove and bring to a boil, then drop to a simmer for about 20 minutes, or until lentils are tender.
Meanwhile, grab the bowl you’d like to serve your salad in. Strip the leaves from your thyme and drop them in, followed by a generous pinch of kosher salt. Muddle both together with the back of a spoon to get all the lovely oils out. Mince your other clove of garlic and drop that in too, along with the good olive oil, red wine vinegar, black pepper, and DFC’s Wasabi mustard. Whisk until the mustard thoroughly emulsifies the dressing, and set aside.
Cut your cucumbers into a small dice, and the cherry tomatoes into quarters. Add to the dressing, toss to coat, and let marinate.
When the lentils are cooked, drain them in a sieve and shake them well to get all the water out. (You can remove the garlic clove, or leave it in for extra flavour!) Allow the lentils to cool until just warm. Toss with the dressing and veggies in your serving bowl, and adjust seasoning if needed. If you can afford to let it sit for 30 minutes before serving, the flavours will start to develop! If not, you can still enjoy right away with a cheese board and some crusty bread.
