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Lentil Niçoise Salad

4.0

(2)

Any Way Niçoise with Lentils
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski

To make this endlessly riffable salad, pair whatever produce you’ve got with 7-minute eggs, a mustardy dressing you can make ahead, and almost any protein: leftover steak or salmon, rotisserie chicken, or beans, to name a few.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    6–8 servings

Ingredients

¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. honey
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. kosher salt, plus more
6 large eggs
1 lb. asparagus, trimmed
4 cups halved or sliced radishes, fennel, and/or tomatoes
3 cups cooked lentils
Olives, caper berries, peperoncini, pickles, or other pickled-briny ingredients (for serving)
Flaky sea salt

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Whisk oil, lemon juice, mustard, honey, pepper, and 1 tsp. kosher salt in a medium bowl; set dressing aside.

    Step 2

    Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Carefully add eggs and cook 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer eggs to a bowl of ice water (keep pot over high heat); chill until cold, about 5 minutes. Peel; set aside.

    Step 3

    Meanwhile, add asparagus to same pot of boiling water and cook until just tender, 2–4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to bowl of ice water; let sit until cold, about 3 minutes. Transfer to paper towels; pat dry.

    Step 4

    To serve, slice eggs in half and arrange on a platter with cooked and raw vegetables and lentils. Top with pickled-briny ingredient(s), sprinkle with sea salt, and drizzle some reserved dressing over. Serve with remaining dressing alongside.

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