French lentils with leeks, carrots, and Dijon dressing

Well it’s fall y’all, and officially time for some comforting dishes. But that doesn’t mean they have to be loaded in fat and carbs. This lentil dish is a great meatless option but would also be a great side to a pork tenderloin or even a juicy steak. 

Here’s how to make them...

First stuff an onion with 6 cloves

Slice a medium turnip in half

Then place in a pot with 1 cup of French green lentils (Whole Foods has them for 2.99 per cup in the bulk section) and 3 cups of water. 

Bring to a boil then simmer, uncovered for 20 minutes. 

Slice a leek in half and make sure to rinse the insides, they can carry a lot of dirt and grit. 

Slice a carrot into 1/2 inch pieces and add to a sauté pan with the leek. Make sure you have heated a TBSP of olive oil over medium heat first.

After cooking down about 5 minutes add 3 cloves chopped garlic and cook 1 minute. 

Turn off heat. 

Back to the lentils. This is how they should look when done. 

Remove onion and turnip and drain in a fine siev 

Add the lentils to the pan of leeks and carrots and add two TBSP of unsalted butter. 

Now make the dressing. Mix 1 TBSP red wine vinegar, 1 TBSP Dijon mustard, 2TBSP olive oil, salt and pepper in a small bowl with a whisk until fully incorporated. 

Add the dressing to the lentils. 

Add salt and pepper to taste and enjoy!