French Lentil Salad with Roasted Yam + Pine Nuts

There's nothing we love more than a prepared French Lentil salad on the table or in the fridge. Mix and match your veggies, nuts, and dressings to create something new, or scroll through the rest of our recipes to find a few of our faves. We love the flavour of pine nuts here, but if you can't access them, pumpkin seeds or pecans would be perfect alternatives.

French Lentil Salad with Sweet Potatoes + Pine Nuts
1 cup Flourist French Lentils, soaked and steamed (see below)
3 cups yam, peeled and cubed (about 1 large yam)
1 tbsp olive oil 
pinch of salt 
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper 
1/2 cup hard cheese, such as aged cheddar or goat cheese, cubed 
1/3 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted 
1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped 
1/3 cup, or more to taste, Shallot Vinaigrette 

Shallot Vinaigrette 
1 minced shallot 
1/2 cup olive oil 
1/2 cup white wine vinegar 
2 tbsp Dijon mustard 
1 tsp salt 
2 tbsp sugar

Pre-cook your Flourist French Lentils using our soak & steam method. Soak the French Lentils for 4-20 hours, then drain and rinse. Steam in a vegetable steamer basket for 15-20 minutes, until tender but still firm. Remove from the steamer and allow to cool slightly. Toss with olive oil to coat if not using right away. 

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Toss the cubed yam with 1 tbsp olive oil and add a pinch of salt. Lay the yams flat on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes, turning the yams every 10 minutes or so. Remove when browning and set aside to cool. 

While the yams cook, prepare the pine nuts, peppers, parsley, cheese, and the vinaigrette. When the lentils and yams are cooled, toss the salad ingredients together gently in a bowl. Add dressing to taste, reserving the remainder in the fridge for another use.