I wish to hold just a few wholesome, ready-to-eat choices in my fridge for the week forward, and this simple Lentil Salad is one I come again to repeatedly. I throw collectively a few of my favourite flavors, together with garlic, lemon, and feta, with tender brown lentils, juicy tomatoes, pink onion, and loads of contemporary parsley. This lentil salad is prepared in about half-hour, and makes a terrific facet dish by itself. OR you may pack it away for meal prep or bulk it up in a lot of methods to show it into its personal meal!
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“This one was such a success! Meal preps like a dream, takes about half an hour to organize, and, in fact, is scrumptious! Considered one of my housemates, who usually isn’t a lot into meatless dishes, texted me at work to say that it was “EXTREMELY good.” As with all dish involving lemons, utilizing Meyers actually takes it to the subsequent degree. I’ve been ready all yr to make this till the actually contemporary tomatoes are available in, and I’m so glad I did! That is contemporary and zippy, but additionally hearty and filling.”
Rose
One Batch, Days of Straightforward Lunches
I’m more likely to maintain up with meal prep when it’s THIS simple. Chilly meal-prep lunches like this lentil salad are the true MVP as a result of I can pull one straight from the fridge, give it a fast stir, and eat with out cooking or reheating something. It’s vivid, tangy, contemporary, and layered with completely different textures, and is one thing I’m really excited to eat a number of days into the week.
I additionally simply actually love lentils on the whole. They’re an inexpensive supply of plant-based protein and fiber that helps hold me full and happy. I take advantage of brown lentils right here as a result of they’re simple to search out and maintain up nicely in a relaxing salad (so long as they aren’t overcooked). My largest tip is to begin checking them a couple of minutes earlier than the bundle suggests, since cooking occasions can range. Catching them early helps them change into tender with out turning mushy as soon as they’re tossed with the dressing. Plus, the flavors solely get higher because the lentils and greens marinate within the tangy home made lemon-garlic dressing!
- Use brown or inexperienced lentils. They maintain their form after cooking and are the only option for this salad. I take advantage of brown lentils, which solely take about 20 minutes to cook dinner in boiling water. Inexperienced lentils take for much longer, about 45 minutes. Begin checking them a couple of minutes early and cease cooking as soon as the facilities are tender. I don’t advocate utilizing pink, yellow, or orange lentils, as they change into too comfortable for a salad like this.
- Drain and funky the lentils nicely. I don’t love heat lentils on this salad. After cooking, at all times drain them completely and allow them to cool earlier than assembling the salad. Heat lentils can wilt the parsley, soften the greens, and dilute the dressing. I personally assume cooled lentils hold all the things tasting contemporary.
- It’s even higher later. If you can also make this salad even half-hour forward, do it! The dressing has extra time to coat each ingredient, and the general taste turns into brighter and extra balanced after a bit relaxation.
- Price range saving tip: The most costly ingredient on this salad for me was the grape tomatoes. They are often fairly dear, so if you wish to lower prices even additional, simply exchange the grape tomatoes with about 3 diced Roma tomatoes, or no matter number of tomato is least costly at your grocery retailer. I have a tendency to love Roma the most effective as a second selection right here as a result of the flesh is agency they usually maintain up nicely to the salad.
This lentil salad tastes nice proper after mixing all of it up, but it surely will get even higher with time within the fridge (leftovers FTW!), which makes it excellent for meal prep! It retains nicely for about 3-4 days, and it’s meant to be eaten chilly, so there’s no reheating wanted! Simply keep in mind to provide it a fast stir earlier than consuming to redistribute that fantastic dressing.
My standard selections to pack up with this salad are sliced cucumbers with a scoop of home made hummus or tzatziki. I’ll typically swap the cucumber for some naan for dipping once I need one thing extra filling. However both method, I’m at all times pleased with a dip-and-scoop lunch! If I need to make it much more substantial, I’ll add sliced baked hen breast and a few additional greens. Every of those sides hold fairly nicely within the fridge. I take advantage of hermetic containers with dividers to maintain something contemporary (see the picture under).
There are many simple methods to bulk this salad up, too. You possibly can stir in just a few simple extras and pop the entire thing straight into the fridge as an alternative of prepping separate sides (perfect when time is brief!). Attempt chopped rotisserie hen, canned chickpeas (drained and rinsed), diced cucumber, sliced bell pepper, or cooked and cooled rice.
Marinated Lentil Salad
Price $7.29 recipe / $1.22 serving
This simple Lentil Salad is vivid, flavorful, and infused with daring flavors like garlic and lemon. Eat it as a facet dish, meal prep it, or make it a meal!
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Collect and put together all components.
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Prepare dinner the lentils based on the bundle instructions. For many brown lentils, convey 3 cups of water to a boil in a pot, add the lentils, and proceed boiling for 20 minutes, or till the lentils are tender. Drain the lentils in a colander and rinse briefly with cool water till they’re cooled.
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Whereas the lentils are cooking, put together the lemon garlic dressing. Use a microplane, zester, or small-holed cheese grater to take away about 1 Tbsp of the lemon’s zest (the skinny, yellow, outer layer of the peel). Set the zest apart. Juice the lemon and measure ¼ cup of the juice to make use of for the dressing.
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In a small bowl, whisk collectively the lemon juice, olive oil, minced garlic, oregano, salt, and a few freshly cracked pepper. Set the dressing apart.
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Rinse the parsley nicely, shake off as a lot water as doable, then pull the leaves from the stems. Roughly chop the parsley leaves. Lower the grape tomatoes in half. Finely cube the pink onion.
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When the lentils are cooked, cooled, and nicely drained, switch them to a big bowl. Add the chopped parsley, tomatoes, pink onion, crumbled feta, lemon zest, and the ready dressing. Stir to mix the components and coat all the things in dressing.
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Serve instantly, or refrigerate till able to eat. At all times stir the salad simply earlier than serving to redistribute the dressing and flavors.
See how we calculate recipe prices right here.
**This recipe works greatest with lentils that maintain their form after cooking, comparable to brown, inexperienced, and even black lentils. Rinse and kind the dried lentils earlier than cooking to take away any particles. There’s no must soak the dried lentils first. If utilizing canned lentils, rinse and drain them nicely earlier than including them to the salad. They’re a handy shortcut, however the texture can be a lot softer than utilizing freshly cooked lentils. Keep away from pink, yellow, and orange lentils, as they change into too comfortable for this salad.
***When you favor a milder onion taste, stir the finely diced pink onion into the dressing and let it sit for about 10 minutes earlier than assembling the salad. You may as well briefly rinse and drain the diced onion beneath chilly water to melt its sharp chew.
Serving: 1serving (1 cup)Energy: 234kcal (12%)Carbohydrates: 23g (8%)Protein: 10g (20%)Fats: 12g (18%)Sodium: 309mg (13%)Fiber: 11g (46%)
The best way to Make Lentil Salad Step-by-Step Images
Collect the salad components: You’ll want 1 cup dry brown lentils, ½ bunch contemporary parsley, 10 oz. grape tomatoes, ¼ small pink onion, and a couple of oz. feta.
Collect the dressing components: You’ll want 1 lemon, ¼ cup olive oil, 2 garlic cloves, ½ Tbsp dried oregano, ½ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp black pepper.
Prepare dinner the lentils: Start by cooking 1 cup dry brown lentils. Lentils are extremely simple to cook dinner. It’s quite a bit like cooking pasta! Convey 3 cups water to a boil in a medium pot, add the lentils, and cook dinner for about 20 minutes, or based on the bundle instructions. Begin checking them a couple of minutes early. You need the lentils tender by means of the middle however nonetheless holding their form, not comfortable or mushy.
Drain and funky: Drain the cooked lentils in a colander and rinse them briefly with cool water till cooled. Give the colander a great shake, then let the lentils drain completely to keep away from the salad getting watery.
Prep the lemon: Whereas the lentils are cooking, put together the lemon garlic dressing. Take away about 1 Tbsp zest from the lemon utilizing a microplane, zester, or small-holed cheese grater. Set the zest apart for later. Juice the lemon and use about ¼ cup for the dressing.
Make the dressing: Add ¼ cup olive oil, 2 minced garlic cloves (about 1 Tbsp), ½ Tbsp dried oregano, ½ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp black pepper to the bowl of ¼ cup lemon juice.
Whisk all the things collectively till nicely mixed. Set the dressing apart so it has a couple of minutes to mix.
Put together the greens: Rinse ½ bunch parsley (50g) nicely, shake off as a lot water as doable, and roughly chop sufficient to make about ½ cup. Halve 10 ouncesgrape tomatoes and finely cube ¼ small pink onion (about ¼ cup).
I actually don’t like together with small quantities like “¼ pink onion” in recipes, however pink onion is a type of components that could be very potent and you actually solely want a small quantity. To keep away from losing the remainder of the onion, take into account including it to salads, pizzas, frittatas, or pickling the onions for longer storage!
Assemble the salad: As soon as the lentils are cooked, cooled, and nicely drained, switch them to a big bowl. Add the 1 Tbsp lemon zest, ½ cup chopped parsley, 10 ounceshalved grape tomatoes, ¼ cup finely diced pink onion, and a couple of ouncescrumbled feta. Pour the ready lemon garlic dressing over all the things.
Combine and serve: Gently stir all the things collectively till the lentils and greens are evenly distributed and coated within the tangy dressing. Serve the lentil salad instantly, or refrigerate it till you’re able to eat. I favor it after a relaxation within the fridge (about half-hour) as a result of it offers the flavors time to mingle and get much more scrumptious. Give it one other good stir earlier than serving to redistribute the dressing. Take pleasure in!
Serving Strategies
This lentil salad by no means lasts me lengthy…I can by no means cease scooping forkfuls into my mouth! In actuality, although, this marinated lentil salad makes about 6 cups, so relying on the way you serve it, it’s about six servings. It’s made to be served cooled, or chilled after resting within the fridge.
Many of the meal prep concepts I shared above work simply as nicely for dinner, too. You possibly can take pleasure in it as a hearty salad, serve it together with your favourite protein (just like the baked hen I discussed), or stuff it right into a heat pita bread. I particularly love making hummus bowl with a beneficiant scoop of hummus (strive our white bean hummus for a special choice!), this lentil salad, and a few lemon wedges for squeezing. For a summery vegetarian meal, I’d pair this lentil salad with BBQ grilled tofu or black bean burgers. Each are simple to organize whereas the salad rests within the fridge! Or if you happen to’re within the temper for one thing heartier, my beef kofta meatballs lean into the identical Mediterranean flavors because the salad and make an particularly satisfying meal!
Storage Directions
Retailer leftovers in an hermetic container within the fridge for 3-4 days. The lentils and greens maintain up nicely, and the flavour will get even higher after a bit time to marinate. Give it a great stir earlier than serving to redistribute the dressing. Drain off any extra liquid if the tomatoes launch numerous juice.
Freezer
I don’t advocate freezing this lentil salad. The lentils themselves freeze nicely, however the tomatoes, parsley, feta, and onion can change into watery or lose their texture as soon as thawed. For the most effective outcomes, I at all times take pleasure in it contemporary from the fridge!
Different Lentil Salads to Attempt:
- This Lentil and Cranberry Salad combines tender lentils with dried cranberries, crunchy walnuts, and a tangy balsamic dressing that’s nice for lunches AND vacation tables!
- For an additional contemporary strategy to take pleasure in lentils, our Summer season Lentil Salad is stuffed with candy corn, juicy tomatoes, basil, and a light-weight French dressing that’s excellent for warm-weather meals.
- My Wilted Kale and Lentil Salad is a heartier choice made with earthy lentils, tender kale, and a heat bacon French dressing.
Our Lentil Salad recipe was initially printed 10/10/16. It was retested and republished to be higher than ever 8/5/26.
