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easy lentil salad recipe

Easy Lentil Salad (Fresh, Simple, and Make-Ahead)

Written by Published on in Healthy Recipes, Sides

This lentil salad is one of those recipes that works for everything: a quick lunch, a light dinner, or something to have in the fridge throughout the week.

It’s fresh, simple, and made with ingredients that come together easily but still feel satisfying.

Why Add Lentils to Your Diet?

Lentils are one of those ingredients that are not only easy to cook with, but also packed with nutrients that make them a great addition to your weekly meals.

  • High in plant-based protein — helps keep you full and satisfied
  • Rich in fiber — supports digestion and helps balance blood sugar
  • Good source of iron — great for energy and overall health
  • Budget-friendly — an affordable way to add nutrition to your meals
  • Great for meal prep — they hold up well and taste even better over time

Adding lentils to your routine is an easy way to build meals that feel both nourishing and satisfying.

In thi recipe, we cook the lentils and toss them in a lemony dressing with a splash of red wine vinegar. Chopped veggies add a delicious crunch while lending their beautiful color and tons of wholesome goodness. It’s our favorite kind of leftover to munch on all week because it gets better and better every hour. 

Our Tips for Making this Lentil Salad Recipe:

There are a few important tips to making this a stand out salad. 

  • You need to salt the water when you boil the lentils. Salting the water when you boil the lentils allows the first layer of flavor to absorb.
  • Leaving it in the fridge for a few hours is essential to enjoying this salad. The more the lentils sit in the lemon dressing, the more they absorb the flavor. 
  • Think of this salad like a chopped salad. Part of what makes it so good is that all of the pieces are very similar so you get a lot of texture in one bite. Each of the veggies should be chopped just a little bigger than the actual lentil. Once chopped each veggie will be about 1 ½ cups. 

Substitutions We Recommend:

The fresh lentils can be substituted with canned lentils (if you want to avoid cooking the lentils). You can also substitute with almost any bean. Garbanzo or white beans work well in this salad as well if you want to switch it up or if that’s what you have on hand. Just remember to rinse the canned beans with cold water and drain well before using. 

You can substitute almost any other vegetable. All of the veggies we use are raw but if you have cooked veggies leftover from another night, chop them up and add them in. 

How to serve:

This lentil salad works for just about anything:

  • weekend brunch
  • light lunch or dinner
  • meal prep for the week

Looking for more easy meals? Try our Leftover Meal Ideas or our favorite Quick Dinner Ideas.”

It pairs well with:

skewers

baked chicken thighs

lemon pepper fish

flanken beef ribs

lamb chops recipe
Baked Chicken Thighs with Mushrooms and Leeks
Baked Chicken Thighs with Mushrooms and Leeks
Beef and Shrimp Skewers Recipe
Beef and Shrimp Skewers Recipe
Lentil Salad
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Lentil Salad

Recipe by Abuelas Cuban CounterCourse: Healthy Recipes, Sides
Servings

12

servings
Prep time

20

minutes
Cooking time

15

minutes
Calories

300

kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 bag of lentils (about 6 cups of cooked lentils) 

  • 2 cups of finely chopped cucumbers 

  • 1 ½ cups finely chopped carrots 

  • 1 ½ cups of finely chopped peppers

  • 1 cup of cherry tomatoes, halved 

  • 1 yellow squash, finely chopped 

  • 1 zucchini, finely chopped 

  • 2 cups of spinach, chopped 

  • ½ cup of fresh parsley, finely chopped

  • 10-12 leaves of fresh mint, finely chopped

  • ¾ cup of extra virgin olive oil

  • Juice of two lemons

  • 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar

  • Salt and freshly cracked pepper

Directions

  • Start by making the lentils. Rinse the lentils with cold water and drain. 
  • Add them to a pot and fill with water. Set the pot to high and bring the water to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, add 1 teaspoon of salt and lower the heat to medium low and simmer for 15-18 minutes. This is a good time to chop everything while the lentils are cooking. 
  • Keep an eye on them so they don’t overcook. As soon as they soften, rinse with cold water, and drain them well. Put the lentils in a large bowl.  
  • Add a pinch of salt, freshly cracked pepper, oil, lemon juice and vinegar to the lentils and stir. This will allow the warm lentils to soak up all the flavors. 
  • Add all the veggies and herbs. Stir together. Taste and adjust as necessary. You may need to add more salt or a tablespoon more of oil. 
  • Refrigerate for at least an hour or up to 24 hours. The longer it refrigerates, the better!