If you’re trying to eat more fiber, I can’t think of a more delicious addition to your week than this lentil salad recipe. It requires some veggie chopping up front, but once it’s assembled, you can store it in the fridge for an easy lunch prep.
It tastes even better when you let it chill overnight!
Loaded with anti-inflammatory ingredients such as red bell peppers, cucumbers, red onion, and sliced almonds, this recipe is one you’ll want to eat on repeat. But it’s also easy enough to customize when you need to use a different vegetable, nut, or dried fruit.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Featured Review
“This was sooo gooood! Loved the way it was tangy, sweet, crunchy, chewy! My husband–who is no big ban of lentils–loved this as much as me! He won’t eat lentil spaghetti or lentil sloppy joes, but he snarfed this! I’ll definitely start including it in our regular rotation!”
-Kate
Lentil Salad Recipe Ingredients
- Lentils. This recipe is faster to prepare if you keep canned lentils in your pantry. Two cans will work! Otherwise, I’ll show you how to cook lentils from scratch in the recipe below. Don’t use red lentils, as they are too mushy. Brown, black, or green lentils work best for salad.
- Vegetables. Red bell pepper, celery, red onion, and cucumber add crunch and color to this salad. But if you’re not a fan, or don’t have one on hand, feel free to make substitutions as needed. This is easily adaptable!
- Almonds. Sliced almonds help add crunch with a delicate bite. They aren’t as large as whole almonds, so they distribute evenly through the salad. Feel free to use another chopped nut or seed if you prefer.
- Raisins. These add a sweet, chewy texture without added sugar. But any other dried fruit will work, too.
- Apple Cider Vinaigrette. A simple combination of olive oil, apple cider vinegar, mustard, garlic, and maple syrup (or honey) creates an irresistible flavor.
How to Make Lentil Salad
Step 1:
If you are not starting with pre-cooked lentils (they are available canned or vacuum-sealed in the chilled section of the grocery store), add the dry lentils to a saucepan and cover them with water. You can use chicken broth or add a bay leaf to the cooking water to enhance flavor. The lentils will triple in size as they cook, so make sure you use a large enough pot.
Bring the liquid to a boil, lower the heat, and cover the pot. Simmer until the lentils are tender, about 20 to 25 minutes. Be sure the lentils are always covered with liquid during this time so they cook evenly.
When the lentils are tender, pour them through a fine mesh strainer to drain any excess cooking liquid. Set them aside to cool.
Don’t have enough lentils? That’s okay, too! I’ve made this recipe with just 3 cups of cooked lentils (about 2 cans or a 1-pound vacuum-sealed pack), and it still turns out delicious with a higher veggie-to-lentil ratio. Add salt to taste when using fewer lentils because you won’t need as much.
Step 2:
While the lentils cook, you can skip to the next step: making the salad dressing in the bottom of a large mixing bowl. Use the same bowl you plan to assemble the salad in so you don’t have extra dishes to wash later.
Add the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, mustard, maple syrup, garlic, salt, and black pepper to the bowl, then mix well.
Step 3:
Once the apple cider vinaigrette is mixed, start finely chopping the veggies and add them to the bowl of dressing as you work. Stir well, so they can start marinating right away.
Once the lentils have cooled, stir them into the bowl along with the sliced almonds and raisins. Set the salad aside to marinate for at least 15 minutes, or store it tightly covered in the fridge overnight before serving.
The raisins will plump as the salad rests, and then it’s ready to serve.
Serving and Storage Tips
Serve this lentil salad with a slotted spoon so any excess liquid drips back into the bowl as you scoop. If you chill it overnight, be sure to taste and adjust any seasoning as needed. Chilled salads sometimes need an extra boost of salt because the cold can dilute the flavor.
Leftover salad can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Shake the jar well before serving again to ensure the dressing is evenly distributed. I think the salad tastes even better the next day!
- 1 ½ cups dry green or brown lentils (or 4 ½ cups pre-cooked lentils)
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon stone-ground mustard
- 2 small cloves garlic , minced
- 1 ½ to 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 cucumber , diced (about 1 ½ cups)
- 1 red onion , diced (about 1 ¼ cups)
- 1 red bell pepper , diced (about ¾ cup)
- 3 celery stalks , diced (about 1 cup)
- 1 cup golden raisins (optional)
- 1 cup sliced almonds (optional)
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To cook the lentils, combine 1 ½ cups of dry lentils with 4 ½ cups of water. Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan that is large enough for the lentils to triple in size as they cook. Once boiling, lower the heat to a simmer and cook until the lentils are tender, but still firm, about 20 minutes.
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While the lentils are cooking, prepare the dressing. In a large bowl, combine the oil, vinegar, maple syrup, mustard, garlic, 1 teaspoon of salt, and black pepper, then whisk well to combine.
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When the lentils are tender, drain any excess liquid and rinse the cooked lentils under cold water to stop the cooking process and help them cool down faster.
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While the lentils cool, you can dice the cucumber, onion, bell pepper, and celery if you haven’t already. The smaller you dice them, the more flavor you’ll get in each bite. Add the chopped vegetables to the large bowl of dressing and toss to combine. Add in the cooled lentils, and stir again.
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Add in the raisins and sliced almonds, if desired, then season with additional salt, as needed. Serve right away with a slotted spoon to let the excess dressing drip away, or transfer the salad to an airtight container to chill in the fridge. Shake or stir before serving again to make sure the dressing is evenly distributed.
Lentil Note: This recipe works best with brown or green lentils, which don’t get too mushy. If using store-bought cooked lentils, you can get away with using just 3 cups of cooked lentils (which is 2 cans drained or a 1-pound vacuum-sealed pack). In that case, you won’t need more than 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt for this recipe.
Calories: 214kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 620mg | Potassium: 509mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 975IU | Vitamin C: 40.7mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 2.9mg
More Lentil Recipes to Try
If you try this lentil salad recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below to let me know how you like it.
