This lentil salad is tasty and satisfying. Even your meat-loving friends will love it ….I promise! This lentil salad is loaded with fresh veggies, topped off by crunchy pumpkin seeds, fresh mint and a balsamic dressing.
The contrast in flavours in textures all balance this dish out nicely Perfect for picnics, potlucks or simply make a big batch for easy lunches in the week. The lentils in this salad are full of flavour and rather moreish if I say so myself!
Lentils often get a bad rap for being boring, but their rich earthy flavour can really be brought alive when cooked with stock or broth as they soak up all of that delicious flavour and goodness.
The well-balanced dressing adds the right amount of flavour to this lentil salad making it a favourite salad that I’m sure will be on regular rotation in your household time and time again. 
Recipe FAQ
It can be served as a side along with grilled meat or fish, it can be enjoyed with a poached egg or boiled egg on top or simple enjoy as is!
Many recipes will say you do not need to soak lentils due to the fact lentils have a low phytic acid content. However soaking lentils can greatly aid in their digestion and also reduce their cooking time. If you have poor digestion or experience gas and bloating from legumes then soaking is definitely recommended.
Rinse the lentils in a sieve, place in a pot and cover with warm water and 1 Tbsp of lemon juice, leave for around 7 hours. Once soaked, drain and rinse the lentils again and then cover with clean water to cook. If you are seriously short on time then any soaking is better than none.
This salad should keep for 5 days in the fridge in an airtight container.
Other salad recipes you might like to try….
- Peanut-Miso Tempeh Salad Bowl with Cashew Nuts
- Detox Buddha Bowl with Spicy Chickpeas and Cashew Cumin Sauce
- Beetroot, Avocado & Rocket Quinoa Salad with Spiced Walnuts & Mint
- Roasted Pumpkin, Chickpea and Sundried Tomato Salad with Goats Feta
- Sweet Potato Salad with Pomegranate, Feta & Pecans
Warm French Lentil Salad (Vegan)
A delicious warm french lentil salad cooked in a tasty broth, loaded with veggies, pumpkin seeds, fresh herbs, and topped off with a full flavoured dressing. Vegan & Gluten-Free.
Ingredients
Salad
- 1 cup french green lentils or Du Puy lentils, rinsed, drained and soaked*
- 2 cups vegetable stock or broth (or 2 cups water with 2 crushed bouillon cubes)
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup grated carrot (Approx 2 medium carrots)
- 1 cup grated beetroot (Approx 1 medium beetroot)
- 1/2 red onion, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup pepita/pumpkin seeds
- 2 Tbsp fresh mint
- 1 tsp coconut oil
Dressing
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 Tbsp tamari
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan place the soaked lentils, 2 cups of stock or broth and 1 cup of water. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer cook for 20-25 min until tender. Cook so the lentils are still firm to touch, don't overcook as they will go mushy.
- While the lentils are cooking toast the pumpkin seeds/pepitas. Heat a small frying pan/skillet on a medium heat. Add the coconut oil and then the pumpkin seeds/pepitas, cook for 2-3 minutes turning frequently until slightly golden. Remove the seeds and set aside on a paper towel while you prepare the rest of the salad.
- Once the lentils are cooked quickly rinse under cold water (you don't want to wash away the flavour from the stock) and drain then place in a salad bowl.
- Add the grated beetroot, carrot and chopped red onion to the salad bowl and toss.
- Top with the peptitas/pumpkin seeds and fresh mint, pour over the salad dressing, toss again. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
* See the notes in blog post for soaking lentils, this is not 100% necessary for green lentils but can help with their digestion and reduce cooking time.
Nutrition Information
Yield 6 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 263Total Fat 15gSaturated Fat 3gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 11gCholesterol 1mgSodium 539mgCarbohydrates 25gNet Carbohydrates 17gFiber 8gSugar 6gProtein 9g
This nutritional information is an estimate only and is provided as a courtesy to readers. It was auto-generated based on serving size, number of servings, and typical information for the ingredients listed in the recipe card. Please feel free to use your preferred nutrition calculator. Please consult your doctor about any specific dietary requirements.
This looks like a fabulous salad recipe to try 🙂
Thanks Sandi
I have never thought about using lentils in a salad, but this looks amazing. Loving the addition of beet and pepitas, too. The color is gorgeous.
Thank you Teri!
This looks wonderful, I like cooking with lentil but don’t do it anywhere near often enough.
Thank you Brian 🙂
Lentils are anything but boring! I adore cooking with them and I find them to be super versatile! Your salad looks delicious, love all the colours there!
Thanks Anna!
This is a beautiful salad. Never thought of using lentils in salads. But this recipe has got me thinking. Will be in my to Do list in the coming weeks. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Chichi, I hope you enjoy it 🙂
We make lentils almost everyday but I have never tried them like this in a salad! I love the idea, and will be trying it soon! Thanks for the recipe!
Thanks Deepika, you must have lots of lovely lentil recipes if you make lentils every day! I hope you enjoy the salad:)
Wow, it looks delicious and so colorful. Lovely Salad recipe. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Thank you so much Puja! 🙂