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 considered one of our favourite methods to make use of it? This straightforward lentil salad recipe! It takes the whole lot 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 among the finest meal prep recipes I do know! The tangy dressing makes it style even higher after time within the fridge.
- Easy substances make large taste: No specialty gadgets: simply easy entire meals substances.
- Filled with plant-based protein to maintain you full: Lentils are full of 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 an alternative of sugar, and it was completely scrumptious :).” – Bev
Lentils That Work Greatest for Salad
I really like making this recipe with brown lentils: they cook dinner shortly and have a tendency to disintegrate when cooked as an alternative of maintain their form. They’re brown in coloration and have a flat, lens-like form. Listed here are a number of notes on lentil varieties:
- Each brown lentils and inexperienced lentils work nicely. 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 want the flavour with brown lentils.
- Keep away from purple lentils. Pink lentils break down shortly and grow to be mushy; they’re finest for soups and stews.
Elements You’ll Want
This lentil salad recipe has traditional, zingy flavors that get even higher over time. It’s considered one of 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 nicely 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 can even use inexperienced lentils as they cook dinner equally.
- Vegetable broth: Cooking lentils in broth as an alternative of water builds taste from the beginning.
- Cherry tomatoes, English cucumber, purple 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 nicely.
- 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).
Learn how to Make Lentil Salad
It takes a little bit of time to prep the salad, however you possibly can prep many of the substances whereas the lentils simmer. Listed here 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, purple onion, and sun-dried tomatoes into bite-sized items.
- Whisk collectively the dressing substances in a medium bowl.
- Toss the whole lot 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 here are a few of my favourite methods to serve it:
- At a potluck or cookout: It travels nicely, sits out safely at room temperature, and doesn’t want reheating.
- As a meal prep lunch: Make upfront and it’s able to seize all week. It’s among the best 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 rooster, 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 nicely and leftovers style even higher! The dressing marinates much more with the lentils and so they take in the flavors extra.
This recipe an ideal contender to make for wholesome lunches all through the week. You can even 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.
Straightforward 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
- Whole Time: half-hour
- Yield: 6 1x
- Class: Aspect Dish
- Methodology: Stovetop
- Delicacies: American
- Weight-reduction plan: 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 purple 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, purple 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, purple onion, sundried tomatoes, and arugula. If desired, add the feta cheese (if serving with out feta, style and add a number of pinches of salt if obligatory). Serve instantly or refrigerate for as much as 5 days.
Extra Lentil Recipes to Attempt
Lentils are one of the versatile legumes round! Listed here are a number of extra lentil recipes we love:
- Go for purple 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
- Attempt fan-favorite coconut lentil curry
