This lentil salad is recent, hearty, and flavorful! Made with tender lentils, crisp veggies, and a tangy Dijon dressing, it’s excellent for meal prep or lunch.
There’s nothing fairly like the standard lentil. And one among our favourite methods to make use of it? This simple lentil salad recipe! It takes every part that’s good about this protein-packed legume and makes it sing.
The flavour pops with tangy and savory notes, pairing tender lentils with a zippy white wine vinegar Dijon dressing, crunchy cucumber, recent tomatoes, and salty feta. It stays flavorful within the fridge for days, making leftovers even higher!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Make-ahead pleasant: This lentil salad is likely one of the greatest meal prep recipes I do know! The tangy dressing makes it style even higher after time within the fridge.
- Easy components make huge taste: No specialty gadgets: simply easy entire meals components.
- Stuffed with plant-based protein to maintain you full: Lentils are filled with plant-based protein and fiber, so this salad really retains you full!
5 Star Reader Evaluations
“The flavors on this salad are phenomenal! I used maple syrup as a substitute of sugar, and it was completely scrumptious :).” – Bev
Lentils That Work Finest for Salad
I really like making this recipe with brown lentils: they cook dinner rapidly and have a tendency to collapse when cooked as a substitute of maintain their form. They’re brown in shade and have a flat, lens-like form. Listed below are just a few notes on lentil varieties:
- Each brown lentils and inexperienced lentils work effectively. I personally like brown lentils for his or her milder taste; inexperienced lentils style extra peppery.
- French lentils or black lentils are smaller and maintain their form when cooked. Prepare dinner till tender utilizing the directions under. These additionally work right here, although we desire the flavour with brown lentils.
- Keep away from pink lentils. Purple lentils break down rapidly and develop into mushy; they’re greatest for soups and stews.
Elements You’ll Want
This lentil salad recipe has traditional, zingy flavors that get even higher over time. It’s one among my favourite aspect dishes, particularly for vegetarian and vegan meals as a result of the plant-based protein lets you really feel extra glad than leafy greens.
That is additionally nice as a lunch salad because it holds up effectively within the fridge, and the plant-based protein helps to maintain you glad all afternoon! Right here’s what you want:
- Brown lentils: The protein-packed base of the salad. You may as well use inexperienced lentils as they cook dinner equally.
- Vegetable broth: Cooking lentils in broth as a substitute of water builds taste from the beginning.
- Cherry tomatoes, English cucumber, pink onion, and child arugula: These colourful veggies add taste and vitamins.
- Solar dried tomatoes: These are the flavour secret right here: they add umami richness that common tomatoes can’t match!
- White wine vinegar, olive oil, and impartial oil: The mixture of each oils is the important thing to a dressing that tastes nice and shops effectively.
- Dijon mustard, oregano, garlic powder, and salt: These spherical out the savory taste.
- Feta cheese: Provides a salty punch (for vegan, skip it and add a pinch extra salt).
Easy methods to Make Lentil Salad
It takes a little bit of time to prep the salad, however you possibly can prep a lot of the components whereas the lentils simmer. Listed below are the fundamental steps (or soar to the recipe for portions):
- Prep the lentils: Prepare dinner the brown lentils by simmering them with broth and salt for about 15 to twenty minutes.
- Prep the veggies whereas the lentils simmer by chopping the tomatoes, cucumber, pink onion, and sun-dried tomatoes into bite-sized items.
- Whisk collectively the dressing components in a medium bowl.
- Toss every part in a big bowl. Mix the cooled lentils, prepped veggies, arugula, and dressing. Fold gently to coat.
- Add the feta final (if utilizing). Crumble it excessive. If skipping feta, style and add a pinch extra salt if wanted.
Serving Concepts
This lentil salad is extremely versatile. Listed below are a few of my favourite methods to serve it:
- At a potluck or cookout: It travels effectively, sits out safely at room temperature, and doesn’t want reheating.
- As a meal prep lunch: Make prematurely and it’s able to seize all week. It’s the most effective lentil meals for busy schedules!
- As a Mediterranean fashion aspect dish: Pair it with hummus and heat pita bread for a mezze-style unfold.
- Alongside a protein: It’s a pure match for grilled hen, grilled salmon, or sauteed shrimp.
- In a grain bowl: Spoon it over cooked quinoa or farro for a extra filling grain bowl.
Storage & Make-Forward Ideas
This lentil salad saves effectively and leftovers style even higher! The dressing marinates much more with the lentils and so they absorb the flavors extra.
This recipe an ideal contender to make for wholesome lunches all through the week. You may as well use it for “throw-together” dinners as a result of it’s excellent for including vegetarian protein to a plate.
Dietary Notes
This lentil salad recipe is vegetarian and gluten-free. For vegan and plant-based, omit the feta.
Simple Lentil Salad
This lentil salad is recent, hearty, and flavorful! Made with tender lentils, crisp veggies, and a tangy Dijon dressing, it’s excellent for meal prep or lunch.
- Prep Time: quarter-hour
- Prepare dinner Time: quarter-hour
- Complete Time: half-hour
- Yield: 6 1x
- Class: Aspect Dish
- Methodology: Stovetop
- Delicacies: American
- Food regimen: Vegan
Elements
- 1 ½ cups dry brown lentils
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- 1 cup quartered cherry tomatoes (5 ounces)
- 1 cup finely diced English cucumber (½ cucumber)
- ¼ cup finely diced pink onion
- ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes (packed in oil), roughly chopped
- 2 cups child arugula (or chopped spinach)
- 2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp impartial oil (grapeseed, vegetable or canola oil)
- ½ tablespoon granulated sugar
- ½ tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ cup feta cheese, to garnish (elective)
Directions
- In a big saucepan, simmer the lentils with the broth and ½ teaspoon kosher salt for 15 to twenty minutes till tender. Drain them right into a colander, then allow them to sit for five minutes to chill.
- In the meantime, put together the tomatoes, cucumber, pink onion, and sundried tomatoes as famous above.
- In a medium bowl, whisk collectively the white wine vinegar, olive oil, impartial oil, granulated sugar, Dijon mustard, oregano, garlic powder, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt.
- When the lentils are cooled, combine them in a big bowl with the dressing and the tomatoes, cucumber, pink onion, sundried tomatoes, and arugula. If desired, add the feta cheese (if serving with out feta, style and add just a few pinches of salt if mandatory). Serve instantly or refrigerate for as much as 5 days.
Extra Lentil Recipes to Strive
Lentils are one of the versatile legumes round! Listed below are just a few extra lentil recipes we love:
- Go for pink lentil soup, lentil soup or curry lentil soup
- Seize lentil salad with feta or French lentil salad
- Make a pot of brown lentils, French lentils or black lentils
- Strive fan-favorite coconut lentil curry
