Description
A fresh and vibrant lentil salad packed with nutritious vegetables, tangy lemon dressing, and optional feta cheese, perfect as a light meal or side dish.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Salad
- 1 1/2 cups dry green lentils or 4 1/2 cups cooked/canned lentils
- 5 cups water
- 1 medium English cucumber, diced
- 1 cup diced small red onion
- 1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and diced small
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (optional, Violife vegan feta used)
- 3-4 cups arugula or baby spinach (optional)
For the Dressing
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons agave syrup
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Few shakes ground black pepper
Instructions
- Cook lentils: Add the lentils and water to a large pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes until tender but not mushy. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop cooking and cool quickly. Transfer to a large bowl.
- Prepare vegetables: Chop the cucumber, red onion, red bell pepper, and parsley. Add them to the bowl with the lentils.
- Make dressing: Whisk all dressing ingredients—olive oil, lemon juice, agave syrup, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, salt, and black pepper—in a medium bowl or shake in a mason jar until well combined.
- Combine salad: Pour the dressing over the lentils and vegetables and stir thoroughly to combine. Stir in the crumbled feta cheese if using. Serve the salad over a bed of arugula or baby spinach, or mix the greens directly into the salad as desired.
Notes
- The salad keeps well covered in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
- You can add cooked quinoa, farro, or bulgur for extra texture and nutrition.
- Canned lentils work well as a convenient substitute for dry lentils.
- Use green, brown, or black lentils for best texture; avoid red lentils as they become mushy when cooked.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 180 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 8 g
- Protein: 9 g
- Cholesterol: 5 mg
