This basic lentil salad recipe options a few of my favourite Mediterranean flavors, together with cherry tomatoes, roasted crimson peppers, Kalamata olives, and loads of contemporary parsley in a zippy lemon dressing. The feel is an irresistible mixture of tender, crisp and chewy.
I like to hold this hearty lentil salad within the fridge for a light-weight meal, wholesome aspect dish, or ready-to-grab snack. Deliver it to your get-togethers and picnics for all to take pleasure in—this recipe is dairy-free, vegan, gluten-free, egg-free and nut-free! I wager your pals will ask for the recipe.
Lentil Salad Serving Recommendations
This lentil salad can spherical out any meal with a wholesome dose of taste, fiber and plant-based protein. Listed below are just some recipes to serve it with:
You possibly can change up your servings by including contemporary leafy greens and a drizzle of olive oil. Crumbled feta or goat cheese on prime is sweet, too.
Lentil Choices
This salad is designed for normal brownish-green lentils, the most typical and reasonably priced selection. When you comply with the recipe’s steering, they’ll prove completely—tender, not mushy. Listed below are some extra choices.
Substitute pre-cooked lentils
You’ll want three cups, about two 15-ounce cans.
Black beluga lentils
These lentils are a fairly darkish shade. They’re smaller in dimension and a bit extra agency in texture. When you select this sort, set the timer for 16 minutes.
French (Puy) inexperienced lentils
Also called Le Puy lentils, these darkish inexperienced lentils are additionally a bit firmer in texture. Set the timer for 18 minutes for these.
Observe: I don’t suggest crimson lentils for this recipe. They’re too mushy.
Extra Lentil Salads to Take pleasure in
When you like this basic lentil salad, take a look at these enjoyable alternate options. Listed below are more bean salads on the weblog.
Please let me know the way your lentil salad seems within the feedback! I like listening to from you and hope this turns into a brand new staple recipe in your kitchen.
Lentil Salad
This basic lentil salad recipe is the proper aspect dish! It’s simple to make with easy components like cherry tomatoes, lemon and parsley. Recipe yields about 5 cups of salad, sufficient for 4 hearty parts.
- Fill a medium-to-large saucepan with water, leaving a number of inches of room on the prime. Deliver it to a boil over excessive warmth.
- In the meantime, type by your lentils for particles. Then, rinse your lentils underneath operating water till the water runs clear. Put aside.
- As soon as the water is boiling, add the rinsed lentils and ½ teaspoon of the salt. Set the timer for 13 minutes. Cut back the warmth as crucial to stop overflow and to take care of a full of life simmer. As soon as your timer has gone off, use a fork to scoop out a couple of lentils and check for doneness (cautious, they’re sizzling). Your lentils are finished when they’re pleasantly tender all through (not mushy or falling aside) and style properly earthy (undercooked lentils are likely to style considerably metallic). In case your lentils aren’t totally cooked but, retest each 1 to 2 minutes till they’re. As soon as cooked, instantly pressure off all the surplus water. Pour the lentils again into your pot to chill.
- In the meantime, in a medium serving bowl, mix all of the remaining components (the chopped peppers, tomatoes, olives, parsley, inexperienced onions, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and a number of other twists of black pepper).
- As soon as the lentils are largely cool, add them to the bowl and stir till the salad is effectively mixed. Season with the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt (extra if desired) and pepper, to style. Leftovers will hold effectively for as much as 5 days, lined within the fridge.
Notes
Lentil choices: If you need to make use of pre-cooked lentils, you will have 3 cups. This salad is designed for “normal” lentils, that are brownish-green in shade and properly tender as soon as cooked. Different choices embrace black beluga lentils (set the timer for 16 minutes) or French inexperienced lentils (set the timer for 18 minutes). Don’t use crimson lentils right here—they’re too mushy.
Vitamin
The knowledge proven is an estimate supplied by a web-based vitamin calculator. It shouldn’t be thought-about an alternative choice to knowledgeable nutritionist’s recommendation. See our full nutrition disclosure here.