Lentilles En Vinaigrette

Paris, 2012

I have been fortunate to live in Paris twice -once in 2010 and again in 2012.  I loved living there, and one of the treats was the food!  Paris is full of incredible open air markets, delicious restaurants, and these wonderful grocery stores.  I have to say the food I cooked in Paris was among some of the best dishes I've ever made.  My tiny apartments had few cooking implements.  I believe the quality of my cooking was heavily influenced by the very high quality of French ingredients.

Paris has a number of grocery store chains including Franprix, Carrefour, Picard, and Monoprix.  I have never seen a store like Picard in the US.  It sells only frozen foods.  Franprix was the small, urban grocery store near the apartment on rue Popincourt where I lived in 2010.  In both 2010 and 2012, however, I lived fairly near a Monoprix, the larger and more upscale grocery store chain.  And it is at Monoprix that I discovered Lentilles en Vinaigrette (Lentils in Vinaigrette).  It has been true love since that day!

I had never really had many lentils in the US.  I had tried lentil soup once or twice and was not that impressed.  My limited experiences with Indian dals and other lentil dishes were tasty, but I did not really ever get a craving for them.  Then I encountered this French dish.

French cooking uses lentils quite a bit.  I am not sure if lentils are a traditional part of French cooking or an immigrant from North Africa.  French lentils tend to be the dark green ones.  Monoprix sells individual servings of lentilles en vinaigrette both served with smoked tofu (tofu fumé) or bulgar wheat.  Another version I've seen contains smoked salmon.  All three are surprisingly delicious.

When I got home, I had a number of trials and errors creating my own version of this dish.  I now share it with you:

Lentils in Vinaigrette Sauce

• 1 cup green lentils
• 2 cups chicken broth (or water)
• 1/2 red onion, minced
• 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
• 3 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
• 1 Tablespoon water
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• Salt to taste
• 1 teaspoon additional vinegar

Cook the lentils and minced onion in boiling water until soft but not mushy.  I usually cook 1 cup lentils with 2 cups of chicken stock.  The stock improves the flavor, but you can also use plain water.

While the lentils are cooking, mix the vinaigrette in a bowl by combining the soy sauce, olive oil, vinegars, water, Dijon mustard, and salt.

When the lentils are done, drain and gently toss with the vinaigrette sauce.  You can serve this dish cold or hot.

Options:
1. Add small cubed or slivered carrots to the lentils and onions.  Cook all three together. Adds a nice color.

2. As a last step, add tofu.  Add smoked tofu if you can find it.  Yum!

3. As a last step, add bits of smoked salmon.

4. Use 3/4 cup of lentils mixed with 1/4 cup bulgur wheat.  Cook together.

DIETS:
Diabetic:  yes
Gluten Free:  yes* (lentils are naturally gluten free but check to make sure they weren't packaged in a facility with gluten products)
Mediterranean:  yes
Nightshade Family Free:  yes
Paleo:  yes
SugarBusters:  yes
Sugar Free:  yes )
Vegan:  yes
Vegetarian:  yes
Wheat Free:  yes
200 Calories or Under:  yes* (leave out the olive oil and consume no more than 4 Tablespoons)

Notice:  Be sure to check with your doctor and nutritionist about the safety of any eating plan for you.  Also, check ingredients as different brands and products may have different ingredients or have changed them since this post.  Some calories are estimates based on packaging.