Cumin-Scented French Lentil Salad

I promised you another recipe from our last Summerfest, and here it is. It’s Serious Eats’ cumin-scented French lentil salad, which my friend Jen made for lunch one day, and it was delicious. It’s really not complicated to make, you just have to take the time to pick through lentils and finely dice vegetables, but it’s well worth it. I liked this salad eaten warm, and it was great straight from the fridge the next day, too. Enjoy!

1 cup French lentilles du Puy
3 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock if you want)
1 bay leaf
1 large carrot, finely diced
2 ribs celery, finely diced
½ cup finely diced red onions (about ½ a small onion)
1 tsp. finely chopped fresh thyme (or ½ tsp. dried, but I prefer fresh)
3 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1 garlic clove, minced
¼ tsp. ground cumin (or more, to taste)
½ tsp. salt, plus more to taste
½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
3 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice, from one large lemon
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, best quality
1 tsp. honey (or maple syrup or agave nectar)

Combine lentils, chicken stock and bay leaf in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then turn heat down and simmer until lentils are just tender, about 25 minutes (or about 20 minutes for common lentils). Strain and let cool.

In a large bowl, combine all remaining ingredients. Add cooled lentils and toss to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Refrigerate until ready to serve.