This Loaded Lentil Salad is filled with taste and protein! Lentils are dietary powerhouses, and this salad is nice for maintaining you fueled all day lengthy. This hearty recipe will be served by itself or loved with crackers or chips. Vacation potlucks are simply across the nook, and this versatile vegetarian salad is a good addition to any desk.
I do know this Loaded Lentil Salad isn’t probably the most lovely dish, however I promise you that what it lacks in seems to be, it makes up for in style. It’s filled with daring flavors and contemporary substances. Make this recipe on a Sunday and have a simple and wholesome vegetarian lunch to take pleasure in all week lengthy. It’s additionally an important addition to any vacation desk.
Why You’ll Love This Loaded Lentil Salad
- Straightforward to make – It’s nice when such a wholesome meal comes collectively rapidly. I like utilizing pre-cooked lentils for this recipe, and it’s prepared in about quarter-hour. It’s additionally a good way to wash out the produce drawer; you probably have additional veggies that should be used, simply throw them in.
- Nice for lunch – I like making a giant batch of this hearty lentil salad and packing it into meal-prep containers for the week. Take pleasure in it with crackers, chips, or by itself.
- Full of vitamins – Lentils are dietary powerhouses that we will all vastly profit from incorporating into our diets. They’re excessive in fiber and protein, filling you up and making digestion simple. Lentils are additionally filled with antioxidants, which assist cut back irritation contained in the physique.
Loaded Lentil Salad Recipe Components + Substitutions
- Lentils – There are a number of totally different sorts of lentils on the market, and most of them can be utilized on this recipe, besides crimson lentils, which get fairly mushy when cooked. I often prepare dinner my very own brown lentils for recipes, however I used the packaged lentils from Dealer Joe’s for this no-cook salad, and so they labored nice. Canned lentils will also be used.
- Chickpeas – You possibly can depart the chickpeas out and use lentils alone for this recipe, however I discover the chickpeas supply a pleasant distinction. Their taste, texture, and dimension barely differ from lentils, including a pleasant stability.
- Greens – I used celery, carrots, onion, and inexperienced olives on this recipe. This lentil salad is nice as a result of you should use virtually any veggie you’ve readily available. Omit what you don’t like and add what you do.
- Dried Cranberries – I like dried cranberries’ chewy texture and candy taste. In addition they go nicely with the rosemary and thyme flavors, giving this salad a vacation really feel.
- Walnuts – Walnuts are wealthy in taste and add a pleasant crunch. Nonetheless, any nut or seed will work.
- Feta Cheese – I like including crumbled feta cheese to vegetarian salads to bulk them up. It additionally provides a pleasant salty creaminess. Crumbled goat cheese can be utilized as an alternative, or a vegan feta cheese substitute may also work.
- Recent Herbs – I like including chopped contemporary parsley to this salad for additional coloration. Cilantro, or one other herb of selection, will also be used.
- Dressing – The dressing offers the vast majority of the flavour for this recipe. It’s made utilizing olive oil, tahini, apple cider vinegar, dijon mustard, maple syrup, garlic, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper. I like to make use of contemporary garlic, rosemary, and thyme to actually enhance the flavour however dried will also be used.
How To Make This Straightforward Vegetarian Lentil Salad
- Add the entire dressing substances to a big mixing bowl. Whisk collectively nicely, and add within the chickpeas and lentils. I like to combine the beans with the dressing after which give every thing a bit mash. That is non-compulsory, however I discover it helps incorporate the dressing flavors into the salad.
- Subsequent, add the celery, onion, inexperienced olives, carrots, feta cheese, dried cranberries, walnuts, and chopped parsley. Combine every thing collectively nicely and season with salt and black pepper to style.
- Serve this loaded lentil salad by itself or with crackers.
Recipe Ceaselessly Requested Questions
- Make this recipe gluten-free by utilizing a gluten-free tamari or soy sauce within the dressing.
- Make this recipe vegan by utilizing a vegan feta cheese substitute or omitting the feta cheese utterly.
- The place can I purchase pre-cooked lentils? I just like the containers of cooked lentils from the refrigerated part of Dealer Joe’s. You may also purchase canned lentils at most grocery shops within the canned bean aisle.
- What number of servings does this recipe make? If serving as a facet dish at a potluck, this recipe makes about 10-12 servings. It’s best to get about 3-4 good parts if serving as a lunch.
- How lengthy do leftovers final? If saved in an hermetic container within the fridge, leftovers ought to final about 5 days.
- Ought to this lentil salad be served heat or chilled? This recipe makes use of pre-packaged lentils and canned chickpeas, so it by no means will get heated. I recommend serving it at room temperature or chilled.
Have a query I didn’t reply? Ask me within the remark part under, and I’ll get again to you ASAP.
Trying For Extra Wholesome Lentil Recipes?
Lentil and Roasted Carrot Salad
Fast and Straightforward Vegetarian Lentil Soup
One Pot Lentil Chickpea Coconut Curry
Straightforward Purple Lentil Curry
Candy Potato Millet and Lentil Muffins
Loaded Lentil Salad
Whole Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 4-6 1x
Eating regimen: Vegetarian
Description
This Loaded Lentil Salad is filled with taste and protein! Lentils are dietary powerhouses and this salad is nice for maintaining you fueled all day lengthy. This hearty recipe will be served by itself, or loved with crackers or chips. Vacation potlucks are simply across the nook and this versatile, vegetarian salad, is a good addition to any desk!
- 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 inexperienced olives
- 1/4 cup diced crimson onion
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
- 1/4 cup chopped contemporary parsley, or cilantro
- Salt and black pepper, to style
Dressing:
- 1/3 cup additional 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 contemporary thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon contemporary minced rosemary
Directions
- Add the entire dressing substances to a big mixing bowl. Whisk collectively nicely after which add within the chickpeas and lentils. I like to combine the beans with the dressing after which give every thing a bit mash. That is non-compulsory, however I really feel prefer it helps incorporate the dressing flavors into the salad higher.
- Subsequent, add within the celery, onion, inexperienced olives, carrots, feta cheese, dried cranberries, walnuts and chopped parsley. Combine every thing collectively nicely and season with salt and black pepper, to style.
- Serve this loaded lentil salad by itself or with crackers.
Notes
*I used a field of pre-cooked lentils from Dealer Joe’s. You possibly can prepare dinner your personal lentil or used canned/boxed.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook dinner Time: 0 minutes
- Class: Lunch, Vegetarian
- Technique: No Cook dinner
- Delicacies: American
