Lentil salad with cherries, fennel and goat’s cheese

Lifestyle Recipes Everyday Lentil salad with cherries, fennel and goat’s cheese A Californian-style salad that makes good use of juicy seasonal fruit Save Comment speech bubble icon Gift this article free Gift article Give full access to this article, free time. You have 15 articles left to gift, this month. Log in or Subscribe Copy link X Icon twitter Facebook Icon facebook WhatsApp Icon whatsapp email Add us as preferred source Share article Log in or Subscribe Copy link X Icon twitter Facebook Icon facebook WhatsApp Icon whatsapp email Diana Henry The Telegraph's award-winning cookery writer Diana Henry is the Telegraph’s much-loved cookery writer. She shares recipes each week, for everything from speedy family dinners to special menus that friends will remember for months. She is also a regular broadcaster on BBC Radio 4, and her journalism and recipe books, including Simple and How to Eat a Peach, are multi-award-winning. A mother of two sons, Diana can satisfy even the fussiest of eaters.    See more Published 24 June 2026 2:04pm BST Save Comment speech bubble icon Share article Log in or Subscribe Copy link X Icon twitter Facebook Icon facebook WhatsApp Icon whatsapp email Gift this article free Gift article Give full access to this article, free time. You have 15 articles left to gift, this month. Log in or Subscribe Copy link X Icon twitter Facebook Icon facebook WhatsApp Icon whatsapp email Add us as preferred source A vibrant dish packed with plant-based protein Credit: Haarala Hamilton Diana Henry The Telegraph's award-winning cookery writer Diana Henry is the Telegraph’s much-loved cookery writer. She shares recipes each week, for everything from speedy family dinners to special menus that friends will remember for months. She is also a regular broadcaster on BBC Radio 4, and her journalism and recipe books, including Simple and How to Eat a Peach, are multi-award-winning. A mother of two sons, Diana can satisfy even the fussiest of eaters.    See more Published 24 June 2026 2:04pm BST Californian salads make good use of fruit, as they have it in such abundance. This is from my own head but I like to think it’s a salad that you might find there. Overview Prep time 15 mins Cook time 25 mins Serves 6 Ingredients 100g bulgur wheat 150ml vegetable or chicken stock, or water 100g black lentils, if you can find them, or Puy lentils juice of 1 lemon 1 large fennel bulb 15g mint leaves 200g cherries, pitted 150g soft goat’s cheese, broken into chunks For the dressing 1 garlic clove, finely grated 2 tbsp white balsamic vinegar 6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil ¼ tsp sumac Method Step Put 100g bulgur wheat in a heatproof bowl. Step  Heat 150ml stock or water to boiling and pour this over the bulgur.  Step Cover with a plate and leave for 20-30 minutes. The wheat will absorb the liquid. Fork the grains to make them fluffy. Step At the same time, cook 100g black or Puy lentils. Put them in a saucepan, add boiling water – it doesn’t matter how much – and cook until the lentils are tender (don’t let them overcook). The older the lentils, the longer they will take to cook. I always check after 20 minutes. Step Drain the lentils and run cold water through them. Toss the bulgur and the lentils together, and set aside. Step Make the dressing by whisking 1 finely grated garlic clove, 2 tbsp white balsamic vinegar, 6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil and ¼ tsp sumac together with a fork. Taste to see whether you have enough sumac – it should taste slightly sharp and lemony. Step Put the juice of 1 lemon in a bowl. Trim the tops of 1 large fennel bulb then quarter it, pulling off any fronds you find (reserve them). Remove the coarse outer layer on each quarter and discard it. Trim the base.  Step Using a very sharp knife, or a mandolin, cut the fennel into wafer-thin slices, adding it to the bowl with the lemon juice as you go (toss the fennel in the lemon juice with your hands). The lemon juice stops the fennel discolouring. Step Choose a broad, shallow bowl or platter for this – you want the salad to be spread out.  Step Mix the fennel – including the lemon juice – with the bulgur and lentils, any fronds you pulled off the fennel, 15g mint leaves and three quarters of the dressing.  Step Season well and put on the serving plate. Scatter 200g pitted cherries and 150g goat’s cheese (broken into chunks) on top and drizzle on the rest of the dressing. Serve immediately. Join the conversation Show comments The Telegraph values your comments but kindly requests all posts are on topic, constructive and respectful. Please review our commenting policy. Copy link X Icon twitter Facebook Icon facebook WhatsApp Icon whatsapp email The Telegraph values your comments but kindly requests all posts are on topic, constructive and respectful. Please review our commenting policy. Related Topics Salad recipes, Cheese recipes, Lunch recipes, Fennel recipes, Cherry recipes, Lentil recipes License this content You need to be a subscriber to join the conversation. Find out more here. Log In Subscribe Advertisement More Stories