French Lentil Salad with Goat's Cheese

The best vegetarian option here for anyone who needs a salad to last until the evening. Small French green lentils, such as the protected Puy variety, keep their shape when cooked, so they take a robust mustard vinaigrette without turning to mush. Toss them while still warm with shallot, carrot, celery and parsley, and crumble goat's cheese over at the end. Simmering the lentils takes about twenty-five minutes, and the whole salad around three-quarters of an hour. The reward is that it keeps for several days in the fridge and tastes better on the second, which makes it the most reliable packed lunch on the list. Add the cheese and some walnuts just before eating.