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Aromatic lentils with crunchy walnuts, a savory dressing and pungent gorgonzola cheese
Milk Street Bowtie Lentil Salad with Gorgonzola

Lentil Salad with Gorgonzola

By Diane Unger

1 hour and 10 minutes

Lentil Salad with Gorgonzola

Free

Simmering the cooking liquid with vegetables and aromatics before adding the lentils infused the dish with plenty of flavor and kept the lentils from turning mushy. A whole head of garlic, cooked with the lentils, flavors and thickens the dressing. Pungent Gorgonzola cheese gave the salad sharp contrast, while toasted walnuts added crunch.

Featured in

1/2 cup white balsamic vinegar
2 medium shallots, peeled, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced
Kosher salt
1 garlic head
6 cups water
2 medium carrots, halved crosswise
1 celery rib, halved crosswise
1 tablespoon yellow mustard seeds
6 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
1½ cups (10 ounces) French green lentils, sorted and rinsed
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 ounces Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled (about ¾ cup)
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
Ground black pepper
Ingredients
  • ½

    cup white balsamic vinegar

  • 2

    medium shallots, peeled, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced

  • Kosher salt

  • 1

    garlic head

  • 6

    cups water

  • 2

    medium carrots, halved crosswise

  • 1

    celery rib, halved crosswise

  • 1

    tablespoon yellow mustard seeds

  • 6

    sprigs fresh thyme

  • 2

    bay leaves

  • 1½

    cups (10 ounces) French green lentils, sorted and rinsed

  • 1

    tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

  • 2

    ounces Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled (about ¾ cup)

  • ½

    cup chopped fresh parsley

  • ½

    cup walnuts, toasted and chopped

  • Ground black pepper

Lentil Salad with Gorgonzola
Directions
  1. 01
    In a liquid measuring cup, combine the vinegar, shallots and 1 teaspoon salt. Let sit for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, cut off and discard the top third of the garlic head, leaving the head intact. In a 2-quart saucepan over medium-high, combine the garlic, water, carrots, celery, mustard seeds, thyme, bay leaves and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to boil, then cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove and discard the carrot, celery, bay and thyme.
    See Demo
  2. 02
    Return the pot to medium-high and stir in the lentils. Return to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer until the lentils are tender but still hold their shape, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove the garlic and set aside. Drain the lentils, reserving the liquid, and transfer to a large bowl. Stir in the vinegar-shallot mixture and let cool to room temperature.
    See Demo
  3. 03
    Squeeze the pulp from the garlic into a bowl and mash with a fork. Stir in ¼ cup of the reserved cooking water, the oil and ½ teaspoon salt. Stir the garlic mixture, half of the cheese, the parsley and half the walnuts into the lentils. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a platter and top with the remaining cheese and walnuts.
    See Demo
Tip: Don’t use brown lentils here. They are larger and have a different cooking time than peppery green lentils. Green lentils are also sold as lentils du Puy.
In the store
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Lentil Salad with Gorgonzola

Get Ready to Cook

6

Servings

1 hour and 10 minutes

Tip

Don’t use brown lentils here. They are larger and have a different cooking time than peppery green lentils. Green lentils are also sold as lentils du Puy.

Ingredients
  • ½

    cup white balsamic vinegar

  • 2

    medium shallots, peeled, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced

  • Kosher salt

  • 1

    garlic head

  • 6

    cups water

  • 2

    medium carrots, halved crosswise

  • 1

    celery rib, halved crosswise

  • 1

    tablespoon yellow mustard seeds

  • 6

    sprigs fresh thyme

  • 2

    bay leaves

  • 1½

    cups (10 ounces) French green lentils, sorted and rinsed

  • 1

    tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

  • 2

    ounces Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled (about ¾ cup)

  • ½

    cup chopped fresh parsley

  • ½

    cup walnuts, toasted and chopped

  • Ground black pepper

Step 1 of 3

Combine spices in water and boil

½
cup white balsamic vinegar
2
medium shallots, peeled, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced
1
teaspoon kosher salt
1
garlic head
6
cups water
2
medium carrots, halved crosswise
1
celery rib, halved crosswise
1
tablespoon yellow mustard seeds
6
sprigs fresh thyme
2
bay leaves

In a liquid measuring cup, combine the vinegar, shallots and 1 teaspoon salt. Let sit for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut off and discard the top third of the garlic head, leaving the head intact. In a 2-quart saucepan over medium-high, combine the garlic, water, carrots, celery, mustard seeds, thyme, bay leaves and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to boil, then cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove and discard the carrot, celery, bay and thyme.

Step 2 of 3

Add the lentils and cook

1½
cups (10 ounces) French green lentils, sorted and rinsed

Return the pot to medium-high and stir in the lentils. Return to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer until the lentils are tender but still hold their shape, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove the garlic and set aside.

Drain the lentils, reserving the liquid, and transfer to a large bowl. Stir in the vinegar-shallot mixture and let cool to room temperature.

Step 3 of 3

Combine the garlic mixture with the lentils and serve

½
cup reserved cooking water
½
teaspoon kosher salt
1
tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2
ounces Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled (about ¾ cup)
½
cup chopped fresh parsley
½
cup walnuts, toasted and chopped

Squeeze the pulp from the garlic into a bowl and mash with a fork. Stir in ¼ cup of the reserved cooking water, the oil and ½ teaspoon salt.

Stir the garlic mixture, half of the cheese, the parsley and half the walnuts into the lentils. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a platter and top with the remaining cheese and walnuts.

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Lentil Salad with Gorgonzola

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