Recipes Salads Warm Sausage and Lentil Salad 4.0 (1) Add your rating & review This earthy French classic with smoked sausages, greens lentils and pungent mustard vinaigrette is custom-tailored for winter weekends in front of the fire. Updated twist: toasted walnuts add great crunch. Slideshow: More Lentil Recipes By Laura Rege Laura Rege Instagram Website Laura Rege is a classically trained chef and veteran of both the Martha Stewart and Food & Wine test kitchens. For the past 15 years, Laura has been creating recipes and styling food for magazines, cookbooks, and food-driven websitesExpertise: food styling, recipe development.Experience: Laura Rege is a graduate of the French Culinary Institute and has worked in Michelin-starred restaurants in New York City. After serving as a senior member of the editorial teams at Food & Wine and Martha Stewart Living, Laura now runs her own company contributing mouthwatering recipes, food styling, and writing for media and food brands. Her work can be found in Shape and Rachael Ray In Season, among others. When she isn't in the kitchen, Laura is most likely still thinking about food, while scouting out the best new restaurants and products for traveling. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on January 1, 2018 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email French green lentils soak up flavor and hold their shape after cooking, which make them the perfect legume for warm winter dishes. Photo: Christopher Testani Active Time: 40 mins Total Time: 1 hrs Yield: 4 Ingredients 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, plus more for serving 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for serving Kosher salt Pepper 2 carrots, finely chopped 1/2 small fennel bulb, finely chopped 1 1/4 pounds garlic sausages, preferably French 1 1/2 cups green lentils, preferably du Puy (10 ounces) 2 shallots, halved 3 thyme sprigs 1 bay leaf 1 cup shelled walnuts (4 ounces) 1/4 cup chopped parsley, plus more for serving Directions In a small bowl, whisk the vinegar with the mustard. Slowly drizzle in 1/4 cup of the olive oil, whisking constantly, until incorporated. Season with salt and pepper. In a large nonreactive pot, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the carrots and fennel, and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender, about 8 minutes. Place the vegetables on a plate. In the same pot, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil until shimmering. Add the sausage, and cook over moderate heat, turning occasionally, until browned, about 8 minutes. Add the lentils, shallots, thyme, bay leaf, and 5 cups of water; bring to a boil. Cover and simmer until the sausage is cooked through, about 10 minutes. Using tongs, remove the sausage to a work surface. Cover and cook the lentils until tender, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375°. Spread the walnuts on a small rimmed baking sheet, and toast until browned, 8 to 9 minutes, tossing once halfway through. Let cool, and coarsely chop. Partially drain the lentils, leaving them saucy. Discard the shallots, thyme, and bay leaf. Add the carrots and fennel to the lentils, season with salt and pepper, and toss with the vinaigrette. Thinly slice the sausage, and add to the lentils. Stir in the 1/4 cup of parsley. Top with the walnuts, sprinkle with more parsley, and drizzle with olive oil. Serve with mustard. Make Ahead The recipe can be prepared through Step 3 and refrigerated overnight. Rate it Print