Veggie-Packed Lentil Salad

If you’re in need of a hearty and fresh salad, then you must make this flavorful Veggie-Packed Lentil Salad. This is truly the perfect salad and it is such a great accompaniment or side dish. And if you’re like me, you’ll make yourself a bowl and eat it standing up in the kitchen. 🙂

Now, I won’t kid you…this wonderful salad is truly all about it’s vinaigrette. I’ve used a beautiful blend of spices in it that seriously take this salad to the next level. Also, the vinaigrette does have a little bit of heat. So, if heat is not your thing or if you’re making this for a group, then feel free to omit it.

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 and kale or swiss chard in the fall. Or adding in briny things such as feta cheese or green olives. Also , if you’d like to add some sweetness, then I would suggest adding in some yellow raisins, dates, or other dried fruits.

Fresh herbs really lend themselves to this salad as well. I occasionally like to use fresh cilantro in this one , but parsley, dill, or even a little fresh mint would also be some nice additions.

Lastly, I like to serve this salad at room temperature. Which makes it absolutely perfect to bring on road trips or to potlucks, or simply adding it into your packed lunches.

Similar to my cookbook, you can freestyle this salad and make it your own in different ways.

Here’s a few ways to freestyle this recipe:

• use chickpeas instead of lentils
• use romanesco, broccolini, cauliflower instead of broccoli

Here are some other ideas to consider:

• add in fresh cilantro, parsley, dill, or even a little fresh mint
• add in roasted carrots or butternut squash in the fall
• add in some leafy greens such as spinach, arugula, kale, or swiss chard
• add in yellow raisins, dates, or other dried fruits
• add in castelvetrano olives
• add feta cheese or vegan feta cheese
• serve with warm pita pockets or flatbread

Are there ways to veganize this recipe???

This recipe is naturally vegan.

Looking for other great salad ideas? Give these delicious recipes a try! 

• Mediterranean Inspired Couscous Salad
• Curried Couscous Salad
• Mediterranean Inspired Quinoa Salad
• Summery Peach Salad

Join me on my social channels and please don’t forget to take pictures and tag me #supperwithmichelle and @supperwithmichelle, if you make any of my recipes! I absolutely love to see all of your creations. You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, Tiktok, YouTube, or Pinterest! As always, I love when you share your reviews in the comments below, and if you have any fun substitutions or additions, let me know how it worked out below too!

Thank you so much for stopping by today! I hope that you enjoy my Veggie-Packed Lentil Salad. The full printable recipe is below. Enjoy!

Get the Recipe: Veggie-Packed Lentil Salad

Yield: 4 servings

Prep: 15 minutes mins

Cook: 30 minutes mins

Marinating Time: 15 minutes mins

Total: 1 hour hr

If you're in need a hearty and fresh salad, then you must make this flavorful Veggie-Packed Lentil Salad. This is truly the perfect accompaniment or side dish. And if you're like me, you'll make yourself a bowl and eat it standing up in the kitchen. 🙂

5 from 1 review

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Ingredients

For the vinaigrette:

• ⅓ cup olive oil
• ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup, – grade A
• 1 teaspoon fine 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

For the lentils:

• 1 cup brown or green lentils, rinsed and picked through (roughly 2 – 2 ½ cups cooked)
• ½ teaspoon fine 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)
• 1 medium carrot, grated
• ½ medium red bell pepper, diced small
• ¼ cup red onion, minced
• 1 large clove garlic, minced

Equipment

• 2 medium sauce pans or pots
• Cutting Board
• Chef's Knife
• Large Stain-Resistant Mixing Bowl

Instructions

Make the vinaigrette:

• In a large stain-resistant mixing bowl, whisk all of the ingredients for the vinaigrette and set the bowl to the side until the lentils are done.

Cook the lentils:

• Fill a medium sauce pan or 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 until the lentils are soft, but not mushy, 20 to 30 minutes.

  Drain the lentils and discard or compost the bay leaf. Transfer the lentils to the large mixing bowl and lightly toss them in with the vinaigrette and set the bowl to the side for the lentils to cool.

Blanch the broccoli:

• Meanwhile, bring a separate medium sauce pan or pot of salted water to a rapid boil. Add in the broccoli and blanch it until bright green and just until fork tender, about 2 minutes. Drain the broccoli and place it in an ice bath to stop the cooking process. Once cooled, drain again. If you’d like for your broccoli to be in smaller pieces, transfer it to a chopping board and give it a rough chop.

Combine the salad:

• Add the broccoli, along with the rest of the ingredients for the salad into the large mixing bowl and lightly give them a toss together. Taste and season with more salt, if needed.

  Cover and let the salad become good friends and marry with the vinaigrette for at least 15 minutes. Trust me...it will love you for it.

  Serve and enjoy your best lentil salad loving life.

Serving: 8ounces, 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