Photo by Michael Piazza / Styled by Catrine Kelty

French lentils, also called lentilles du Puy, are a small bluish-green variety with thicker skins than green lentils. This means they retain their shape when cooked, making them ideal for salads. Here, the legumes are simmered with garlic and bay leaves, then tossed with roasted celery root, crunchy raw celery, creamy blue cheese and a lemony dressing. It’s a textural symphony with a flourish of chopped toasted walnuts added just before serving. To keep all the elements distinct, be sure to allow the lentils and celery root to cool down before combining with all the other ingredients.

Serves 6

FOR THE LENTILS:
1 cup walnuts
1½ cups French lentils
2 large garlic cloves, lightly crushed but kept whole
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1 medium celery root (about 1 pound), peeled and chopped into ½-inch pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
freshly ground black pepper
3 ribs celery, peeled, halved lengthwise and chopped
1 cup loosely packed flat-leaf Italian parsley leaves
3 ounces crumbled blue cheese, such as Bayley Hazen Blue from Jasper Hill Farm

FOR THE DRESSING:
grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 small garlic clove, finely grated on a microplane
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
3 tablespoons olive oil
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 325°F. Spread the walnuts on a rimmed sheet pan and roast until lightly browned and fragrant, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool.

Rinse the lentils in a fine-mesh strainer and sort through for any tiny pebbles. In a medium saucepan, combine the lentils, 6 cups water, garlic cloves, bay leaves and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, until lentils are tender, about 20–25 minutes.

Increase the oven temperature to 450°F. On the same sheet pan used to toast the nuts, toss the chopped celery root with 2 tablespoons olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 20–25 minutes, stirring halfway through, or until the pieces are tender and slightly caramelized. Transfer to a bowl large enough to accommodate all the other ingredients.

Once the lentils are tender, drain them and discard the garlic cloves and bay leaves. Spread onto the rimmed sheet pan to cool.

When the lentils have cooled to room temperature, add them to the bowl with the roasted celery root. Toss in the chopped celery, parsley and crumbled blue cheese.

In a small bowl, whisk together all the ingredients for the dressing. Pour over the lentil mixture and gently toss. Taste and add more salt if you like. Coarsely chop the walnuts and sprinkle on top.

This recipe appeared in the Fall 2023 issue as part of a larger story on Fall Potlucks.