Your new weekday lunch hero is here: this filling, flavourful lentil salad takes just 20 minutes to throw together! It’s packed with protein- and fibre-rich lentils plus plenty of nutrient-dense herbs like mint, parsley and green onion.
A really good lentil salad is one of those back pocket plant-based recipes you’ll lean on again and again. I crave it, just as much as my chickpea tuna sandwich…maybe even more!
You can throw this together as a quick lunch for friends, served with some nice sourdough. And it’s a great meal prep because it keeps for DAYS in the fridge. Really, anytime you want a really nourishing meal that’s as comforting as it is energizing, this cold lentil salad is what you’ll reach for…even when you don’t feel like cooking much.
The salad itself only has 8 ingredients, and it’s so quick to make – just 20 minutes! – because as the lentils cook, you’ll whisk up the lemon dijon dressing directly in the salad bowl, toss the chopped veggies in and when the lentils are done, just rinse them well in cold water to chill them and you’re ready.
I already have a super yummy lentil salad in my cookbook, Plant Magic, and I really wanted to create a version for the blog because it’s such a staple around here. There is just something about rich flavour and almost meaty texture of lentils…and you can add all sorts of crunchy, fresh and herby bits that make this salad so dang craveable…just use whatever you have in the fridge!
Dietitian Corner: lentils are so dang good for you it’s almost shocking. A ¾ cup (cooked) serving…which is what you’ll get in this salad… has 13 grams of plant-based protein plus 6 grams of gut-loving fibre in addition to almost 5 mg of vegan iron, over 500mg of heart healthy potassium and a host of other vitamins and minerals.
How to make this herby cold lentil salad
Minimal cooking, only a bit of chopping…this 20 minute lentil salad is going to be your new weekday BFF. Use it to meal prep lunch or throw together a quick and nourishing dinner when weeknights are chaotic. Plus, it makes the kind of leftovers you’re actually excited to find in your fridge.
You can totally make this salad your own: try radishes instead of cucumber, switch up the parsley for cilantro…but there are a few non-negotiables lest you end up with a totally blah salad. Lentils are little flavour sponges and it’s WILD how much they need to really POP.
So, as you make this your own, make sure that you use at least ½ – 1 cup of highly aromatic herbs + alliums (the mint and green onion here plus the garlic in the dressing), something crunchy (the lentils + cucumber) and some spice (harissa, Calabrian chili paste or chili crisp could be an awesome addition).
First, grab your ingredients: you’ll need dry French green (du Puy) or beluga (black) lentils. Plus cucumber, mint, parsley, green onion, your favourite green olives (I love Castelvetrano), almonds and chile flakes. Plus the ingredients for my Lemon Dijon Dressing.
Step One: cook your lentils in salted (yes, salted) boiling water until al dente, about 12-16 minutes…don’t worry, I’ve got some no-fail tips below.
Step Two: while the lentils cook, whisk up the lemon dijon dressing directly in your salad bowl.
Step Three: prep your veggies, herbs, olives and nuts and toss those into the bowl too.
Step Four: once the lentils are cooked, rinse them very well in cold water, drain and toss them into your bowl and toss thoroughly. If you’ve got the time, waiting 15 minutes will help the flavours infuse into the lentils but it’s ready to eat when you are.
How to cook lentils perfectly every time
I’m sure I don’t have to tell you how annoying it is to eat undercooked (hard!) or overcooked (mushy!) lentils…and trying to figure out the perfect lentil to water ratio, or how much time you need is a chore. Particularly because like rice, every type of lentil – heck, every package of lentils – is its own thing. Different varieties need different cooking times but/and/also…the age of the lentil matters too. The older they are, the longer they take!
So…what’s the secret? Well, first things first: if you’re not already, start cooking your lentils like pasta. Yep, cook them in an ABUNDANCE of salted water (like half a pot), and bring that water to a boil BEFORE you add your lentils. Toss the lentils in, turn down the heat to medium and set a timer for ten minutes, and every 3-5 minutes after that. French green or beluga lentils are going to take about 12-20 minutes so checking them every 3 is better but more standard large brown or green lentils can take 20-30 minutes so every 5 minutes after the first 15 is fine.
A lot of websites tell you that you should never salt your cooking water as the lentils will stay hard…but that’s actually not true. It helps make lentils way more tasty and keep their shape better for a salad. Both Bon Appetit and Serious Eats agree with me, in case you’re nervous!
More recipes to help you eat more lentils
- 20 Minute Lentil Taco Salad
- Carrot, Lentil and Fresh Ginger Soup
- Curried Lentil, Tomato and Coconut Soup
- Easy Lentil Vegetable Soup Recipe
20 Minute Cold Lentil Salad with Herbs
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cup dry French green or black lentils about 3 cups cooked
- 2 cups diced cucumber about half a large
- 1 lightly packed cup curly parsley minced
- ⅓ lightly packed cup fresh mint thinly sliced
- 1 green onion thinly sliced on the diagonal
- ½ cup pitted green olives halved, I like Castelvetrano
- ⅓ cup almonds chopped, sub sunflower seeds for nut free!
- ¼ teaspoon dried chile flakes
- salt to taste
- Fresh Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette I like a large clove of garlic in the dressing for this salad
Instructions
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Bring a medium pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the lentils, reduce heat to medium and cook until lentils are al dente, about 12-18 minutes.
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Meanwhile, whisk up the lemon dijon dressing directly in your serving bowl, and add the cucumber, parsley, mint, onion, olives, almonds and chile flakes.
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When the lentils are cooked, rinse them with plenty of fresh cold water and drain well. Add the lentils to the serving bowl and toss well. Taste and adjust salt as desired.
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If you’ve got 15 minutes, letting the salad sit for a bit helps the lentils suck up the flavour but it’s ready to eat when you are!
Notes
Different varieties, brands and ages of lentils need different times to cook…see the blog post for some lentil cooking tips (it may take longer than stated in recipe!).
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