Lentil Salad (cold) | Easy Vegan Recipe

This chilled lentil salad is served cold with dressing and lots of fresh vegetables and herbs, making it a tasty and healthy way to enjoy this powerhouse pulse.

This is my spin on a super popular dish, with variations in the Middle East, North Africa, Mediterranean, and France. Because it’s served cold, this recipe is perfect for summer. I love it as a light summer meal or on the side of a more filling dish like these Black Bean and Rice Burgers.

The dressing is easy to make and the perfect blend of tangy, aromatic, and fresh. There’s also a bunch of ways you can adapt this recipe to suit your taste.

What You’ll Need

Brown Lentils

I used two cans of cooked brown lentils for this recipe, and would highly recommend buying them this way. Not only is it cheap, but it saves you a tonne of cooking time! Canned lentils are also super tasty and healthy,

Sweet Mini Peppers

These adorable peppers are colorful, sweet, and not spicy in the slightest!

Beefsteak Tomato

These large, meaty tomatoes add sweetness and acidity to the salad. Look for plump red ones that smell sweet and feel slightly squishy.

English Cucumber

The skin on English cucumbers isn’t as tough as regular varieties, so there’s no need to remove it before adding it to your lentil salad.

Parsley

Fresh, peppery parsley has a touch of earthiness that’s ideal for this recipe.

Dressing for Lentil Salad

Lemon Juice

There are a few methods for juicing the lemon, but my favorite is with a citrus juice presser. I like the fact that all the pulp is removed, leaving you with pure juice. If you don’t have a press then you could also use a citrus reamer.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Olive oil is my go-to for salad dressings because it has the best flavor. Look for extra virgin olive oil rather than an oil blend.

Ground Cumin

I used one teaspoon of ground cumin in my dressing.

Garlic or Onion Powder

You can use either garlic powder or onion powder in your dressing, as both will give you that lovely warm depth of flavor.

Salt and Pepper

Season your dressing to taste.

How to Make Lentil Salad – Easy!

1. Prepare the salad by combining the lentils, tomato, cucumber, peppers, and parsley in a large serving bowl.
2. Make the dressing for your lentil salad by whisking all the ingredients together in a small bowl. If you prefer, place everything in a mason jar, seal with the lid, and shake until combined. This is a great option if you plan on saving some of the dressing for later because you can just place it straight into the fridge.

Serving Suggestions

To serve your lentil salad cold, cover the bowl and place it into the fridge for a couple of hours. If you don’t want to wait then it also tastes great served at room temperature.

Recipe Swaps and Additions

As mentioned earlier in the post, this lentil salad recipe is easy to adapt to your tastes. Try these recipe twists or get creative with your own!

• Add 1/4 cup of finely chopped red onion
• Add 1/2 cup Kalamata olives
• Sprinkle with crumbled vegan feta cheese – I like Violife Feta.

Storage Instructions for Lentil Salad

This dish tastes best fresh, so if you can, make it on the same day you intend on eating it. If you do need to prepare the dish ahead of time, then store all your prepared ingredients in separate containers in the fridge, then combine just before serving. This way, the vegetables will still be crisp and the lentils won’t go soggy!

Hungry for More Easy Salads?

Here are a few of my readers favorite simple salad recipes. I can’t wait for you to try them!

• ‘Summer in a Bowl’ Corn Salad
• Kale Salad with Apple, Orange and Pomegranate
• Watermelon Salad with Mint and Vegan Feta
• Grilled Veggie and Quinoa Salad & Zesty Tahini Dressing

Thanks for checking out this Lentil Salad Recipe. If you try it, please let me know what you think with a comment and rating. Every bit of feedback helps make the blog even better!

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