Lentil salad offers a refreshing and delicious way to eat lots of protein and veggies. Mine is seasoned with fresh herbs and a lemon-based salad dressing.
Due to the lentils, this salad is packed with protein. The fresh veggies and herbs add color and a crisp flavor. The combination of lemon, honey, and mustard for the dressing brings a citrus brightness to the salad.
It’s a perfect way to bring some fresh ingredients into a cold dreary winter day.
Lentils are also high in fiber and are a great source of slow-burning complex carbs. While lentils do contain a high amount of carbs, they are naturally gluten-free.
What kind to use for lentil salad
There are three main kinds of lentils that you will find in any grocery store.
- Brown- This is the most common variety. If the bag has no other description, it is probably brown lentils. They have a mild flavor and hold their shape well during cooking, perfect for lentil lettuce wraps.
- Green- These lentils have a much more robust flavor. Their strong peppery flavor tastes great in salads. This is why I choose these for this lentil salad.
- Red or yellow- These lentils are always “split” meaning they are cut into small pieces. They have a sweet, nutty flavor. Because they are small, they tend to fall apart easier and are best used in stews, a crock pot lentil soup, or casseroles.
How do you cook lentils?
You can find canned lentils. If you use them, you just need to drain and rinse the legumes.
It’s easy to cook dried lentils though.
- Soak the lentils in lots of water overnight at room temperature. This is an optional step, but will reduce the cooking time the next day and make digestion A LOT easier.
- Drain and rinse the lentils.
- Put the lentils and plenty of water in a pot and bring to a boil. Tightly cover the pot.
- Reduce the heat and simmer until they are tender. If you have not soaked the lentils, it will take 15-20 minutes. If you have, the time will be reduced.
Another option is to cook your lentils in the Instant Pot. If you did not soak the lentils, it will take 15 minutes on high pressure. If you soaked them, set the Instant Pot for five minutes.
Always use a natural release to slowly stop the cooking process. There will be foam in the pot from cooking the lentils. If you perform a quick release, the foam could shoot through the valve and burn you.
How long does lentil salad last in the fridge?
The salad will last for up to 4 days in the refrigerator. This means you can make it in advance for a meal or use this recipe as meal prep.
This lentil salad makes four servings. Divide it into four containers and have lunches prepared in advance.
While you can not freeze this complete salad, you can freeze cooked lentils. Use frozen lentils within three months. Then the most time-consuming part of the recipe will be done in advance.
Lentil Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried green lentils - or 1 can cooked green lentils
- 1 English cucumber
- 1/3 cup finely chopped red onion
- 2 tomatoes
- 1/2 bunch curly parsley
- 6 mint leaves
- 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 lemon
- 1 Tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 Tbsp honey
Instructions
- If you choose to cook your own lentils, soak lentils in abundant water overnight on the kitchen counter. The next day, drain and rinse them. Then cook them either in boiling water on the stovetop until soft or use the Instant Pot 2 minutes on high pressure plus natural pressure release. Else, open your can of lentils and drain and rinse the lentils. (see video)
- Wash and finely dice cucumber. Peel and finely chop the red onion. Wash and deseed tomatoes, then finely dice. Wash, dry, and destalk parsley and mint and chop extra finely.
- Add cooked drained lentils, chopped vegetables, and herbs, as well as crumble feta to a large salad bowl.
- Prepare the dressing by adding olive oil, juice of 1/2 the lemon, dijon mustard, and honey to a sealable container and shake.
- Pour dressing over lentil salad and give a good mix. Try the salad to see if it needs salt and pepper for your liking and add now, then give another mix.
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Mary says
This is delicious! There’s no need to soak lentils. Just rinse and cook 12-18 minutes. I use Le Puy or French Green lentils for salads. They don’t get mushy.
Emily says
Would you suggest leaving the dressing on the side for leftovers?
Lorena Grater says
No, since there is no lettuce in the salad that wilts over time you can store leftovers with the dressing already mixed in.
Kathleen says
Perfection! I love this quick and easy salad. I use Trader Joe’s precooked lentils (found in the produce section). The addition of mint is great. This so good for. Quick lunch to pack for work. Thanks!
Kathleen S says
This is amazing! Perfect to pack for a quick lunch at work. Love the addition of mint.
Mary says
Love this is easy. Looks super tasty!
sandy halliburton says
i used 1 cup of dried lentils and after cooking had WAY more lentils than you appear to use. did you use all your cooked lentils or only 1 cup? thanks.
Lorena Grater says
I used all my cooked lentils as you can see in the video. Are you basing your observation off the photos or the video? The photo has most lentils under the other ingredients. In order to be able to show all ingredients in the bowl I had to keep most lentils UNDER the rest of the ingredients of course but in the video you can see well the actual amount when I add it to the salad bowl.
Lilly says
How long before serving can I store this sale in refrigerator?
Lorena Grater says
It stays fresh and great for 48-ish hours.
Jill says
I followed the recipe but found the lentils too mushy to make a salad with. It calls for 5 minutes under pressure for soaked lentils in the instant pot. I went back and looked at another post you have that says 2 minutes under pressure for soaked beans in an instant pot. So I soaked new lentils for 2 hours and then cooked it accordingly following that recipe and it turned out much better. Still a little soft but not like the first batch that was mush. The rest of the flavors worked well. I added blanched mini diced zucchini, bell peppers, and green onions instead of red onions. Very hearty and filling.
Lorena Grater says
Thank you so much for your feedback. I just reviewed the recipe and yes you are right. I used to cook them for 5 minutes and they’d still be ok for me but after doing further testing realized 2 minutes is better for salads. I didn’t think of going back to this recipe to adjust it after further experiments. Thank you so much for pointing it out. I just changed it.
Rush says
Hello The salad looks absolutely delicious and I am sure it tastes divine however I have a question..What kind of or brand feta cheese is best to use for salads? Thank you
Lorena Grater says
That depends entirely on where you live. I live in Canada and often get Feta from a Greek store called Adonis. I recommend trying a few different brands and then choosing your favorite :)
Jessica says
Love this salad. I think I cooked lentils a little too long but over all delicious! Will make again for sure!