This Easy And Healthy Lentil Salad is packed with both nutrients and flavor.
Like Baby in Dirty Dancing, lentils should never be put in the corner. They should be out on the dance floor with all the other popular legumes, like chickpeas and black beans. After all, they are versatile, budget-friendly, and rich in fiber, protein, and other essential nutrients.
This vibrant salad blends the goodness of lentils with crisp cucumbers, sweet cherry tomatoes, and zingy red onions—all tossed with a bright, refreshing dressing. Despite the complexity of flavors, this salad is deceptively simple and comes together in a cinch, making it the ideal choice for weekday dinners or a side dish for potlucks and picnics.
And, while I know it’s what’s inside that counts, it doesn’t hurt that this salad looks beautiful, too! Its presentation is eye-catching and colorful, making you feel like you’re truly eating the rainbow.
Is Lentil Salad Healthy?
This salad is full of good-for-you ingredients that are an excellent part of a balanced diet. Lentils are a good source of plant-based protein, in addition to fiber, B vitamins, iron, magnesium, and zinc. The fresh cucumber, tomatoes, and red onion are also full of beneficial vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Feta cheese adds a touch more protein and some calcium to the mix, all while being lower in fat than many other types of cheeses. And speaking of fat, the dressing uses some extra virgin olive oil, which contains the good fats that benefit heart health. Overall, this is a great recipe to add to your rotation of healthy meals.
Variety Is The Spice Of Life
This recipe can be made exactly as is or easily modified to suit your preferences. For example, I use brown lentils, but green or black lentils would also work great. Green lentils have a slightly firmer texture and may need longer to cook. Red lentils, on the other hand, cook faster and become softer, which may alter the salad’s overall texture. If you are in a hurry, you can also grab some canned lentils from the store. That’s a great hack if you want to get the meal together as quickly as possible.
The veggies and dressing are also easy to modify. This salad calls for cucumbers, red onions, and cherry tomatoes, but feel free to add celery, bell pepper, avocado, or even some toasted seeds. You could also add more protein with some grilled chicken or tofu. For the dressing, you can substitute the lemon juice with red or white wine vinegar for a little more depth.
How To Make Ahead And Store
Store any leftover salad in an airtight container in the fridge and eat within 4 days for optimal taste and texture. If possible, store the dressing separately from the salad so it doesn’t turn soggy. It’s not a good idea to freeze any leftovers. However, you can cook and freeze plain lentils! Once the cooked lentils are fully cool, freeze them spread out on a parchment-lined baking sheet for 1-2 hours before transferring them to a freezer-safe container. (This will help prevent them from freezing in clumps.) Eat them within 3 months.
Serving Suggestions
This salad is delicious on its own as a light lunch or dinner, but you could also serve it as a side dish alongside a wide variety of mains. For example, it would pair nicely with some Oven-Baked Chicken Thighs, Salmon Steaks, or Grilled Cauliflower Steaks With Romesco Sauce.
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 1/2 cup uncooked brown lentils rinsed
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 rosemary sprig
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 small cucumber diced
- 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes diced
- 1 small red onion diced
- 4-5 Italian basil leaves chopped
- 1/2 cup feta cheese crumbled
For the dressing:
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large pot, combine the lentils, water, rosemary, and garlic clove. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the lentils are soft and cooked.
- While the lentils cook, make the dressing. Whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, and Dijon mustard in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
- Once the lentils are done cooking, drain them and discard the garlic clove and rosemary. Rinse gently with cold water and transfer to a bowl.
- Add the cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, and red onions to the bowl with the lentils and combine well.
- Drizzle with the dressing, and toss the lentil salad until well combined. Top the salad with the crumbled feta cheese and chopped Italian basil.
Nutrition Info:
Nutrition information are estimates only and may vary based on the specific brands, ingredients, and portion sizes you use. This data is provided for informational purposes only.
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