Autumn Lentil Salad

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When cooler temperatures start to present themselves during the fall, I begin to crave heartier fresh salads like this Autumn Lentil Salad. This is truly the perfect accompaniment or side dish. But if you’re like me, then you’ll make yourself a bowl and eat it standing up in the kitchen. 🙂

There’s a lot a wiggle room in this recipe. Feel free to swap out or add in other veggies. I can easily see adding in roasted carrots or butternut squash. Also briny things such as feta cheese or green olives or capers. If you’d like to add some sweetness, then I would try adding in some yellow raisins or other dried fruits.

Fresh herbs really lend themselves to this salad as well. I like to use fresh cilantro, but parsley, tarragon, basil, or even a little fresh mint are some nice additions. It’s all based on your tastes and what you prefer.

I also like a bit of heat with this salad, so I added in a little cayenne pepper to the dressing, but if that’s too spicy for you, then feel free to omit it.

Lastly, I like to serve this room temperature. But it can honestly be served warm or cold.

If you enjoyed this salad let me know in the comments and you may also want to try my Curried Couscous Salad.

Get the Recipe: Autumn Lentil Salad

Yield: 4 servings

Prep: 15 minutes mins

Cook: 30 minutes mins

Marinating Time: 15 minutes mins

Total: 1 hour hr

When cooler temperatures start to present themselves during the fall, I begin to crave heartier fresh salads like this Autumn Lentil Salad. This is truly the perfect accompaniment or side dish. 

5 from 1 review

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Ingredients

For the lentils:

• 1 cup brown or green lentils, rinsed and picked through (roughly 2 – 2 ½ cups cooked)
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste
• ⅛ teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 bay leaf

For the salad:

• 1 large crown broccoli, cut into bite size pieces (10 to 12 ounces)
• ½ medium red bell pepper, diced small
• ¼ cup red onion, diced small
• 1 medium carrot, grated
• ¼ cup cilantro leaves, loosely filled and roughly chopped (or a fresh herb of your choice)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced

For the vinaigrette:

• ⅓ cup olive oil
• ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup – grade A
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• ½ teaspoon ground coriander
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
• ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
• ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional

Equipment

• 2 medium pots

Instructions

Cook the lentils:

• Fill a medium pot with 4 cups of water over medium heat. Add the lentils, salt, ground cumin, and bay leaf. Bring to a rapid boil, lower the heat to medium-low and cover the pot. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes or until the lentils are soft, but not mushy. Drain the lentils and discard or compost the bay leaf. Transfer the lentils to a large mixing bowl and set to the side to cool.

Cook the broccoli:

• Bring a separate medium pot of water to a rapid boil. Add in the broccoli and blanch it for 2 minutes or so. Drain the broccoli and place it in an ice bath to stop the cooking process. Once cooled, drain again and if you’d like for your broccoli to be in smaller pieces, transfer it to a chopping board and give it a rough chop.

Make the vinaigrette:

• Meanwhile, in small stain-resistant bowl, whisk all of the ingredients for the vinaigrette.

  Add the rest of your ingredients for the salad into the large mixing bowl and pour the vinaigrette over the top and lightly toss them together. Let salad marinate in dressing for 15 minutes and then serve and enjoy!

Calories: 248kcal, Carbohydrates: 18g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 19g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 13g, Sodium: 950mg, Potassium: 627mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 7g, Vitamin A: 4061IU, Vitamin C: 157mg, Calcium: 97mg, Iron: 2mg