This Loaded Lentil Salad is packed with flavor and protein! Lentils are nutritional powerhouses, and this salad is great for keeping you fueled all day long. This hearty recipe can be served on its own or enjoyed with crackers or chips. Holiday potlucks are just around the corner, and this versatile vegetarian salad is a great addition to any table.
I know this Loaded Lentil Salad isn’t the most beautiful dish, but I promise you that what it lacks in looks, it makes up for in taste. It’s packed with bold flavors and fresh ingredients. Make this recipe on a Sunday and have an easy and healthy vegetarian lunch to enjoy all week long. It’s also a great addition to any holiday table.
Why You’ll Love This Loaded Lentil Salad
- Easy to make – It’s great when such a healthy meal comes together quickly. I like using pre-cooked lentils for this recipe, and it’s ready in about 15 minutes. It’s also a great way to clean out the produce drawer; if you have extra veggies that need to be used, just throw them in.
- Great for lunch – I love making a big batch of this hearty lentil salad and packing it into meal-prep containers for the week. Enjoy it with crackers, chips, or on its own.
- Packed with nutrients – Lentils are nutritional powerhouses that we can all greatly benefit from incorporating into our diets. They’re high in fiber and protein, filling you up and making digestion easy. Lentils are also packed with antioxidants, which help reduce inflammation inside the body.
Loaded Lentil Salad Recipe Ingredients + Substitutions
- Lentils – There are a few different kinds of lentils out there, and most of them can be used in this recipe, except red lentils, which get pretty mushy when cooked. I usually cook my own brown lentils for recipes, but I used the packaged lentils from Trader Joe’s for this no-cook salad, and they worked great. Canned lentils can also be used.
- Chickpeas – You can leave the chickpeas out and use lentils alone for this recipe, but I find the chickpeas offer a nice contrast. Their flavor, texture, and size slightly differ from lentils, adding a nice balance.
- Vegetables – I used celery, carrots, onion, and green olives in this recipe. This lentil salad is great because you can use almost any veggie you have on hand. Omit what you don’t like and add what you do.
- Dried Cranberries – I love dried cranberries’ chewy texture and sweet flavor. They also go well with the rosemary and thyme flavors, giving this salad a holiday feel.
- Walnuts – Walnuts are rich in flavor and add a nice crunch. However, any nut or seed will work.
- Feta Cheese – I love adding crumbled feta cheese to vegetarian salads to bulk them up. It also adds a nice salty creaminess. Crumbled goat cheese can be used instead, or a vegan feta cheese substitute will also work.
- Fresh Herbs – I like adding chopped fresh parsley to this salad for extra color. Cilantro, or another herb of choice, can also be used.
- Dressing – The dressing provides the majority of the flavor for this recipe. It’s made using olive oil, tahini, apple cider vinegar, dijon mustard, maple syrup, garlic, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper. I like to use fresh garlic, rosemary, and thyme to really boost the flavor but dried can also be used.
How To Make This Easy Vegetarian Lentil Salad
- Add all of the dressing ingredients to a large mixing bowl. Whisk together well, and add in the chickpeas and lentils. I like to mix the beans with the dressing and then give everything a little mash. This is optional, but I find it helps incorporate the dressing flavors into the salad.
- Next, add the celery, onion, green olives, carrots, feta cheese, dried cranberries, walnuts, and chopped parsley. Mix everything together well and season with salt and black pepper to taste.
- Serve this loaded lentil salad by itself or with crackers.
Recipe Frequently Asked Questions
- Make this recipe gluten-free by using a gluten-free tamari or soy sauce in the dressing.
- Make this recipe vegan by using a vegan feta cheese substitute or omitting the feta cheese completely.
- Where can I buy pre-cooked lentils? I like the boxes of cooked lentils from the refrigerated section of Trader Joe’s. You can also buy canned lentils at most grocery stores in the canned bean aisle.
- How many servings does this recipe make? If serving as a side dish at a potluck, this recipe makes about 10-12 servings. You should get about 3-4 good portions if serving as a lunch.
- How long do leftovers last? If stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, leftovers should last about 5 days.
- Should this lentil salad be served warm or chilled? This recipe uses pre-packaged lentils and canned chickpeas, so it never gets heated. I suggest serving it at room temperature or chilled.
Have a question I didn’t answer? Ask me in the comment section below, and I will get back to you ASAP.
Looking For More Healthy Lentil Recipes?
Lentil and Roasted Carrot Salad
Quick and Easy Vegetarian Lentil Soup
One Pot Lentil Chickpea Coconut Curry
Sweet Potato Millet and Lentil Cakes
Loaded Lentil Salad
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This Loaded Lentil Salad is packed with flavor and protein! Lentils are nutritional powerhouses and this salad is great for keeping you fueled all day long. This hearty recipe can be served on its own, or enjoyed with crackers or chips. Holiday potlucks are just around the corner and this versatile, vegetarian salad, is a great addition to any table!
Ingredients
- 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 17.6 oz (100 g) cooked lentils (about 2 cups)*
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1/2 cup diced celery
- 1/2 cup grated carrots, or diced carrot
- 1/4 cup diced green olives
- 1/4 cup diced red onion
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, or cilantro
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Dressing:
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon pure maple syrup, or honey
- 1 teaspoon tamari, or soy sauce
- 1–2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh minced rosemary
Instructions
- Add all of the dressing ingredients to a large mixing bowl. Whisk together well and then add in the chickpeas and lentils. I like to mix the beans with the dressing and then give everything a little mash. This is optional, but I feel like it helps incorporate the dressing flavors into the salad better.
- Next, add in the celery, onion, green olives, carrots, feta cheese, dried cranberries, walnuts and chopped parsley. Mix everything together well and season with salt and black pepper, to taste.
- Serve this loaded lentil salad by itself or with crackers.
Notes
*I used a box of pre-cooked lentils from Trader Joe’s. You can cook your own lentil or used canned/boxed.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 0 mins
- Category: Lunch, Vegetarian
- Method: No Cook
- Cuisine: American
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