French lentil salad with goat cheese and walnuts

Full of lignan- and fiber-rich lentils, this salad will satisfy both you and your microbiome, who will turn this into hormone- and mood-regulating short chain fatty acids. Enjoy with abandon.*

*Low FODMAP mods at the bottom

Credit: David Lebovitz

Ingredients:

1 ½ c French green lentils (such as Le puy)

1 bay leaf

5 sprigs thyme

1 carrot, peeled and finely diced

1 rib celery, finely diced

Dressing:

1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 ¼ tsp sea salt (or more, if you’re me)

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1/3 c olive oil, or half olive and half walnut oil, if you have it

1 small shallot, peeled and minced

Freshly ground black pepper

½ c finely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

1 c walnuts or pecans, lightly toasted (I use the microwave, in 30 second bursts) and chopped

1 c crumbled fresh goat or feta cheese

Rinse the lentils and bring to a boil in salted water** along with the bay leaf and thyme, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Add the finely diced vegetables and cook for another 5-10 minutes, until the lentils are tender but not mushy.

While the lentils are cooking, make the dressing by mixing all the dressing ingredients in a bowl and whisking to combine.

When the lentils are done, drain them and combine them with the dressing while still warm, stirring gently to coat. Remove the bay leaf and thyme sprigs (or what’s left of them).

Add a few grinds of pepper and salt, if needed. Stir in the nuts and parsley. If serving warm, wait to top

with the goat cheese until the last minute, so it doesn’t melt and get lost.

**how salty? Your cooking water should taste like a well-seasoned soup

*If you are following a low-FODMAP diet, you can soak your lentils overnight, discarding the soaking

water. Boil then drain the cooking water. Even the most sensitive gut should be able to tolerate 1/8 th cup lentils.