Lentil salad is an easy and tasty recipe that combines flavorful and nutritious lentils with fresh vegetables, and our signature mustard dressing.
For more salads with lentils, try our carrot lentil salad, quinoa lentil salad, and lentil tabbouleh.
Our Go-To Lentil Salad for Quick, Healthy Meals
Louise and I love cooking with lentils. They’re one of those wholesome pantry staples we always keep on hand—both canned and dried.
Whether we’re craving something cozy like mujadara, lentil vegetable soup, or a hearty lentil curry, lentils never disappoint. They’re comforting, nourishing, and endlessly versatile.
If you’re a regular reader here, you already know: we’re obsessed with salads. We’ve created over 80 different salad recipes—so yes, you could say we’ve had some practice 😛.
Today, we’re excited to share a quick and easy Mediterranean diet-inspired lentil salad. It’s packed with fiber and loaded with vibrant, crunchy vegetables.
This salad is a star on its own or a perfect supporting act as a colorful side dish. Serve it straight from the bowl or dress it up on a platter. It looks as beautiful as it tastes.
We love enjoying it with homemade pita, fluffy quinoa, and a generous spoonful of tzatziki sauce.
Bringing bold Mediterranean flavors to your table, this lentil salad is a low-calorie recipe but rich in plant-based protein and goodness.
Ingredients
Find complete ingredient list, quantities, and substitutions in the recipe box at the bottom of the page.
Variations
- Add Grains: Mix in quinoa, bulgur, farro, or brown rice for extra fiber and heartiness.
- Boost the Flavor: Enhance taste with sun-dried tomatoes, roasted garlic, or marinated artichokes.
- Add More Veggies: Stir in roasted vegetables, avocado, or leafy greens for color and texture.
- Change the Dressing: Try a tahini-lemon or balsamic vinaigrette for a new flavor profile.
How to Make Lentil Salad
Step 1: Cook the Lentils (Skip if using canned)
Rinse the dried lentils under running water and check for debris. Add them to a pot with 4 cups of water per cup of lentils, plus 2 bay leaves and 1 teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil, then simmer until tender (15–45 minutes, depending on the type). Drain and add to a large mixing bowl. If using canned lentils, just rinse and drain them.
Step 2: Prep the Veggies & Dressing
While the lentils cook, chop the tomatoes, cucumber, onion, and parsley. Add them, along with the olives, and crumbled feta to the bowl with the lentils.
In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, grated garlic, cumin, salt, and pepper.
Step 3: Toss & Serve
Pour the dressing over the lentil mixture and toss until everything is well combined. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve at room temperature or chilled.
This lentil salad is incredibly versatile—it can be a meal on its own or a colorful side dish for your favorite mains.
Tips
- No Soaking Required: Dried lentils don’t need to be soaked. Just rinse them well and cook—easy and convenient.
- Watch the Cooking Time: Cooking time varies based on the lentil variety and age. Some are done in 15 minutes, others take up to 45. Start checking at the 15-minute mark.
- Perfect Salad Texture: For salads, aim for lentils that are tender but still hold their shape. Overcooked lentils can turn mushy and won’t mix well with crisp veggies.
- Cool Before Tossing: Let the lentils cool slightly before combining with the vegetables. This keeps everything fresh and prevents wilting.
- Make It Ahead: This salad gets even better after resting in the fridge for 1–2 hours. The flavors meld beautifully.
- Double the Dressing (Optional): Want a bolder flavor? You can double the dressing—just don’t double the salt.
More Lentil Recipes
- How to cook black lentils
- Italian lentil soup
- Turkish lentil soup
- Moroccan lentil soup
- Indian lentil curry
- Curry lentil soup
- Lentil pasta
- Lentil bolognese
If you tried this Lentil Salad recipe or any other recipe on our blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let us know how it goes in the comments. We love hearing from you!
Lentil Salad
Ingredients
- 2 cans (15 oz each) lentils green, black, brown / sub 3 cups cooked lentils / or 1 cup dried boiled in 4 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt as per package instructions.
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes ½ pound, quartered
- 1½ cups cucumber 1 medium, diced
- ½ red onion thinly sliced or diced
- ⅓ cup olives Kalamata or Taggiasche
- 3 tbsp parsley chopped (sub 1 tsp dried oregano)
- 3½ ounces feta cheese or non-dairy feta, crumbled
DRESSING
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp lemon juice fresh
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard sub American
- 1 clove garlic grated
- ½ tsp cumin optional
- 1 tsp salt or more to taste
- ⅛ tsp black pepper
Instructions
- If using canned lentils – Drain and rinse 2 cans (15 oz each) lentils and add them to a large bowl. If using dried lentils – Rinse 1 cup of dried lentils, add them to a pot with 4 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt and simmer gently as per package instructions or until tender. Drain and add to a large bowl.
- Make the Salad – To the same bowl, add 2 cups cherry tomatoes (quartered), 1½ cups cucumber (diced), ½ red onion (thinly sliced), ⅓ cup olives, 3½ ounces feta cheese, and 3 tbsp parsley (chopped).
- Make the Dressing – In a small bowl, whisk 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 2 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tbsp Dijon mustard, 1 clove garlic (grated), ½ tsp cumin, 1 tsp salt, and ⅛ tsp black pepper.
- Pour dressing over salad and toss until well combined. Taste and adjust for salt before serving.
Video
Notes
- Lentils: Use green, brown, black, or French; avoid split red lentils. Substitute chickpeas.
- Canned vs. Dried: Use cooked dried or canned lentils (drained and rinsed).
- Tomatoes: Use cherry or plum; substitute with diced red bell pepper.
- Cucumber: Substitute with sliced fennel.
- Red Onion: Substitute with shallot or green onions.
- Olives: Use Taggiasche or Kalamata; substitute with sun-dried tomatoes or marinated artichokes.
- Feta Cheese: Use regular or dairy-free, crumbled.
- Parsley: Substitute 1 tsp dried oregano.
- Lemon Juice: Substitute with apple cider or red wine vinegar.
- Mustard: Use American or Dijon mustard.
- No soaking needed: Just rinse dried lentils and cook.
- Cooking time varies: Check doneness at 15 minutes; some need up to 45.
- Keep them firm: For salads, cook lentils until tender but not mushy.
- Let them cool: Toss lentils with veggies only after they’ve cooled slightly.
- Make ahead: The salad tastes even better after an hour in the fridge.
- Double the dressing: For more flavor, double the dressing—but not the salt.
- Store the lentil salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The flavors actually get better after a few hours, making it perfect for meal prep.
- If you’ve added greens like arugula or avocado, it’s best to mix those in just before serving to keep everything fresh and crisp.
- This salad is delicious cold, straight from the fridge—no reheating needed!
Nutrition
Hi! We are Nico & Louise
We’re here to share delicious, easy, and healthy plant-based recipes (vegetarian & vegan) 🌿✨.
Welcome to our blog, we are glad you are here.
This is amazing. Made the lentils a day before so it was easy to just toss everything together. Put the feta on the side in case someone wanted it sans cheese. Really tasty and nutritious without being boring!!
Hi Julie, I love your approach — prepping the lentils ahead and serving feta on the side is so smart! I’m thrilled you found it tasty and nutritious. Thanks so much for sharing!
All the best, Louise
easy to make. Bright bold flavors and filling. Great for summer time.
Hi Juelanne! 😊 I’m so happy you liked it — bright, bold, and easy is exactly what we aim for, especially in summer! Thanks for the kind words!
Kindest,
Louise
I really liked your vegan food recipes.
This was wonderful! The first bite was an explosion of flavor. I’ll be making this one again. Thanks for a great recipe!
I didn’t have the feta cheese but even though it was wonderful! Thank you so much for this recipe.
Delicious! Only thing I changed was omitting the cheese for vegan version and doubled the dressing (personal preference). Since I’m vegan but the rest of the family isn’t I serve either grilled fish or chicken and drizzled some of the extra dressing over the protein. It was a big hit with the family. This would be a great picnic salad or potluck. Thanks!
Hi Mechelle,
You’re very welcome – I’m very happy that this salad serves as a family meal, no matter your family’s dietary preferences 🙂
Thank you for taking the time to leave serving suggestions and a comment here, we really appreciate it.
All the best, Louise
This Lentil salad looks fabulous. I cannot wait to make this and taste it. I already know it’s going to be delicious!! Thanks so much, your recipes are always the best! 👍🏻💚
Thank you so much. This is my second time making this. Does the nutrition include the pita?