Lentil Salad Recipe
Delicious & Easy Lentil Salad packed with protein, fiber, and iron, with fresh herbs and a creamy lemony dressing. Perfect for meal prep.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 440kcal
Equipment
- 1 Immersion blender or blender (optional for the dressing)
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups dried French lentils or green lentils, or 4 cups cooked
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- ½ cup finely chopped shallots or green onion
- 1 large red bell pepper small dice (optional)
- ½ cup chopped fresh parsley see notes
- ½ cup chopped fresh dill see notes
- ¼ cup chopped fresh mint leaves see notes
- ¼ cup chopped tarragon see notes
- 3 tablespoons hemp hearts
- 3 tablespoons capers roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped Calabrian chilis optional
- 1 medium lemon zest
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
For the dressing:
- ¼ to ½ cup brine reserved brine from caper or olive jar, or pickle juice (see notes)
- 1 medium lemon juice
- 2 to 3 tablespoons tahini
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 teaspoons Dijon or stoneground mustard
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning or oregano
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon harissa seasoning optional
Instructions
- Cook the lentils: Add the lentils and bay leaves to a large pot of water. Bring to a boil, reduce to a gentle simmer, and cook for about 15 minutes, or until tender but still firm. Drain very well.
- Season while warm: Transfer the drained lentils to a large bowl and immediately toss with the red wine vinegar. The warm lentils absorb the vinegar readily, adding flavor, while the acidity helps them maintain a firmer texture as they cool. Let cool slightly.
- Assemble: Add the shallots, red bell pepper, parsley, dill, mint, tarragon, hemp hearts, capers, optional Calabrian chilis, and lemon zest.
- Make the dressing: Adjust the brine. Use a total of ½ cup liquid—pickle juice plus water. If your pickle juice is very salty, use less brine and add enough water to reach ½ cup total. Whisk or blend the pickle juice, lemon juice, tahini, garlic, mustard, Italian seasoning, onion powder, and harissa (if using) until smooth.
- Dress: Pour the dressing over the lentils and toss very well. Let sit for 10 to 15 minutes so the lentils absorb the flavors. Taste and add more lemon or black pepper as needed. Add salt only if necessary.
Video
Notes
Fresh herbs: Use whatever combination of fresh herbs you have on hand—parsley, dill, mint, and tarragon all work well. Aim for about 1 ½ cups total.
Cook gently: Simmer the lentils gently rather than boiling vigorously so they cook evenly and are less likely to split.
Add more flavor: Cook the lentils with bay leaves, and use vegetable broth instead of water for even more flavor.
Drain and cool: Drain in a fine-mesh sieve and rinse briefly under cold water to stop the cooking and help the lentils stay firm.
Season while warm: Toss the drained lentils with red wine vinegar while still slightly warm so they absorb more flavor.
Chop finely: Finely chop the vegetables and herbs so you get a little of everything in each bite.
Adjust the brine: Pickle juices vary in saltiness. Replace some of the brine with water as needed to keep the sodium lower while maintaining the tangy flavor. Use ½ cup total liquid (brine plus water).
Salt last: Taste before adding salt—the pickle brine and capers may provide plenty.
Nutrition
Calories: 440kcal | Carbohydrates: 63g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 510mg | Potassium: 1198mg | Fiber: 27g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 2747IU | Vitamin C: 105mg | Calcium: 175mg | Iron: 11mg
