Warm French Lentil Salad with Walnuts

I am a huge fan of legumes and especially the quick cooking lentil. French lentils are the tiny, dark green ones and can be found in specialty food markets and some grocery stores. Much more flavorful than the flat brown lentil, French lentils have a nutty taste and slightly al dente texture, which I love.
In my Indian classes we prepare many varieties of lentils in beautiful colors which you can experiment with, if you want to try something new for this recipe.

As with most legume recipes you can substitute any bean you like for the lentils and if using canned beans be sure to rinse and drain them before adding. Any type of nut would work in this dish; toasted pine nuts, chopped almonds, hazelnuts or pecans. Feel free to omit the nuts if desired.