Lentil Salad

This zippy, fresh Lentil Salad is my latest obsession! With tender lentils, fresh veggies, and the ultimate tangy lemon vinaigrette, you are going to be hooked on this recipe!

We love lentils! Use up leftover lentils in this Lentil Soup, this hearty Lentil Bolognese, or this Lentil Curry.

Lentil Salad

When my husband and I traveled to Dubai, we enjoyed so many incredible regional dishes. This Vegetable Masala and Curry Lentil Soup were both inspired by the trip. And we’re adding another recipe inspired by our trip to the mix –Lentil Salad.

We had so many variations of lentil salads during our vacation and I could not get enough of them. I know, I know, you’re probably thinking, really Chelsea– a lentil salad?! It doesn’t sound like something to leave a lasting impression, but since coming home, I haven’t been able to get those salads out of my mind! I’ve re-created our favorite of the many lentil salads we enjoyed in Dubai (with a few tweaks of my own, of course).

Let’s talk lentils

First things first, make sure you’ve got the freshest dried lentils possible. Older lentils take a lot longer to cook and often shed their skins during cooking. Here’s information on how to tell if your lentils are fresh.

Lentils do not need to be soaked before using in this salad. You do, however, want to give them a good rinse in a colander (with cold water). Sift through the lentils to make sure there aren’t shriveled lentils or bits of debris away that got missed.

You’ll want to use dried lentils for this salad; here’s why I use brown lentils and recommend brown or green lentils:

• Brown/green lentils cook quickly (between 20 and 30 minutes) and have a mild flavor.
• Red/orange lentils are more processed, break down quickly (about 20 minutes), and then turn mushy; this is ideal in many Indian curry dishes where the lentils are meant to thicken the dish, but they don’t work well in a salad.
• Puy lentils (French lentils) take nearly 45-50 minutes to cook, so it will make prep time on this salad quite a bit longer.

When using lentils in this salad, I like to cook them in a combination of vegetable or chicken stock and water. Don’t forget to add some salt to the lentils as they cook, to ensure they are well seasoned. 

Lentil Salad Ingredients

Beyond the lentils, there are five primary salad ingredients, discussed below:

• Sun-dried tomatoes with herbs. These are my current favorite sun-dried tomatoes. They’re sliced (julienne cut) and packed with herbs and olive oil, and pack such a punch of flavor in this salad. I don’t recommend the sun-dried tomatoes in a packet; they’re too dry for this salad.
• Flat-leaf Italian parsley. Typically there is flat-leaf Italian parsley and curly parsley in the produce section of the store. Avoid curly parsley– it’s usually used as a garnish and won’t contribute much flavor to this salad. If you prefer, you can use fresh basil or cilantro instead.
• English or Persian cucumbers (sometimes labeled as mini cucumbers). I don’t recommend regular cucumbers because they lack flavor and texture. They also break down more quickly, which isn’t ideal in this salad.
• Red onion. We love the bite that red onion adds, but note that it does intensify as this dish is stored. If you are sensitive to red onion, feel free to reduce or leave out this ingredient. Alternatively, it can be replaced with green onions or shallots which are both a bit milder.
• Feta cheese. This salty addition pulls everything together in this salad! Goat cheese is another good cheese alternative and if you don’t like either, the salad is still tasty without cheese — it just may need a bit extra salt.

Lemon vinaigrette

We dress Lentil Salad with a light, fresh, healthy, and tangy (and slightly sweet) vinaigrette. Here are a few tips:

• Dress to your preference. I love a generously dressed salad, but you may feel differently. Add the dressing slowly and to your personal preference. You probably won’t want the entire batch of dressing on this salad, but then again, you just might want it all! I’d rather you have more than not enough. Leftover dressing stores nicely for up to a week in an airtight container in the fridge. (See “quick tip” below.) 
  • We often use leftover dressing over roasted vegetables, side salads, and raw garden veggies.
  • Note that as the salad stores and sits, it continues to absorb the dressing–which makes it even more flavorful on day 2.
• Use fresh lemon juice. Bottled lemon juice doesn’t pack the same flavor as fresh, and lemon is the main flavor here. The dressing also relies on lemon zest which another reason to use fresh lemon.

Lentil Salad Variation Ideas

This salad is so easy to customize to make it just how you’d like it.

Below are a few other ideas:

• Add some protein: Although this salad contains no meat, it still has plenty of protein, thanks to the lentils. That said, it still lends well to adding additional protein; I recommend leftover shredded rotisserie chicken — a lemon-herb flavored one if you can find it! A side of grilled chicken is also a great option. 
• Use fresh cherry tomatoes: Halved cherry tomatoes will work great, either in addition to or instead of the sun-dried tomatoes.
• Add more veggies: If you want even more toppings, add in some more veggies. Some ideas include Kalamata or black olives, roasted red bell peppers, chopped green bell pepper, roasted zucchini, or eggplant.
• Swap dressing: If want a different dressing, I’d recommend a good balsamic vinaigrette instead. Try the citrus-balsamic dressing on this Beet Salad or the plain balsamic dressing on this Panzanella Salad.

Lentil Salad Storage

Once dressed, this salad stores nicely for up to 3 days. Be sure to toss it well before serving it; the dressing settles at the bottom of the container as it stores. If you plan on storing this salad and enjoying it for a few days, I recommend adding all of the dressing. The lentils do continue to soak up the dressing and become more and more flavorful as it sits in the fridge.

Lentil Salad FAQs

More nutrition-packed salads:

• Caprese Quinoa Salad with a balsamic vinaigrette
• Tuna-White Bean Salad served on toasted bread
• Chipotle Chicken Salad with a chipotle vinaigrette
• Asparagus Salad with couscous
• Cobb Salad with an herb vinaigrette

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5 from 3 votes

Lentil Salad

By Chelsea Lords

This fresh and zesty Lentil Salad combines tender lentils, crisp veggies, and a tangy lemon vinaigrette—you’ll be hooked!

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Lentil Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 servings

Equipment

• Small pot

Ingredients 

USMetric

 

1x2x3x

Lentils

• ▢ 1 cup dried lentils green or brown
• ▢ 1 cup vegetable broth or chicken stock or broth
• ▢ 1-1/2 cups water
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• ▢ Salt and pepper

Salad

• ▢ 1/2 cup coarsely chopped sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil see note 1
• ▢ 1-1/2 cups chopped Persian cucumber or English cucumber, see note 2
• ▢ 3/4 cup diced red onion 1/2 of a large onion, see note 3
• ▢ 1/2 cup finely chopped flat-leaf Italian parsley see note 4
• ▢ 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

Lemon Dressing

• ▢ 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• ▢ 2 teaspoons Dijon-style mustard not regular mustard
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• ▢ 1 clove garlic minced
• ▢ 2 teaspoons honey
• ▢ 1/4 cup olive oil
• ▢ 1 lemon

Instructions 

• Rinse lentils in a fine-mesh sieve. Pick out any debris or shriveled lentils. Combine rinsed lentils, vegetable/chicken broth, water, and Italian seasoning in a small pot. Season to taste. (I add 1 teaspoon salt.) Stir and cook over medium-high heat until the liquid comes to a simmer; reduce to medium-low heat and cover with a lid. Keep simmering until tender, about 20–25 minutes (check at 20 minutes). Remove from heat and strain. Rinse in cold water for 30 seconds to a minute or until fully cooled. Fully drain off any liquid and add lentils to a large bowl. Place in the fridge to continue cooling while preparing the rest of the salad.
• Combine all the dressing ingredients in a jar. Add 2 teaspoons lemon zest and 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (I add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.) Cover and shake vigorously to combine. Refrigerate while preparing the rest of the salad.
• To the bowl of cooked and cooled lentils, add the coarsely chopped sun-dried tomatoes, diced cucumber, diced red onion, finely chopped parsley, and feta cheese.
• Add dressing to desired preference. (I add all the dressing, but you may not want it all. You may be surprised at how the lentils soak up the dressing—it makes them extra tasty, and you may want to add more as it settles or stores.) Toss and add more dressing, salt, and pepper to taste.
• Serve immediately or chill for up to 2–3 days in an airtight container in the fridge. Toss well before serving—a lot of the dressing settles to the bottom.

Recipe Notes

Note 1: These are my favorite sun-dried tomatoes. They’re sliced (julienne cut), packed with herbs and olive oil, and pack a punch of flavor in this salad. I don’t recommend sun-dried tomatoes in a packet; they’re too dry for this salad.

Note 2: I don’t recommend regular cucumbers because they lack flavor and texture. They also break down quicker, which isn’t ideal for this salad. Stick to English or Persian (sometimes labeled as mini) cucumbers. This recipe uses about 2–3 Persian/mini cucumbers or 1 large English cucumber.

Note 3: I love the bite red onion adds, but it does intensify as this dish is stored. If you are sensitive to red onion, feel free to reduce or leave it out. Alternatively, it can be replaced with green onions or shallots, which are both a bit milder.

Note 4: Look for flat-leaf Italian parsley and curly parsley in the produce section of the store. Avoid curly parsley: it’s usually used as a garnish and won’t contribute much flavor to this salad. If you don’t like parsley, you can use fresh basil or cilantro instead. You’ll need about 3/4 of 1 large bunch.

Storage: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2–3 days. Toss well before serving—the dressing settles to the bottom.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 339kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 392mg | Potassium: 891mg | Fiber: 15g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 2103IU | Vitamin C: 51mg | Calcium: 147mg | Iron: 5mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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