The Best Lentil Salad
Salads come in many varieties, and not each one needs leafy greens. In fact, some salads feature grains, different kinds of produce, or even proteins like lentils. We think this is The Best Lentil Salad because it’s easy-to-make, full of nutrients, and totally delicious.
This lettuce-free salad is full of fiber, protein, and tons of flavor! We repeat this recipe all the time, and we’ve made it for potlucks, dinner parties, family gatherings, and it’s always a hit.
It uses pre-cooked lentils, fresh and crunchy veggies, creamy avocados, and an earthy vinaigrette that you’re going to want to put on everything!
What are Lentils?
Lentils are protein-rich and fiber-packed legumes, which are part of the bean family. Specifically, they’re edible seeds, and they add a ton of flavor and nutrients to dishes. They’re also super versatile and can be used in soups (like our favorite Coconut Curry Lentil Soup), curries, and even salads.
While some lentils can take longer to prepare, this recipe uses pre-cooked brown lentils, which make this salad super easy to put together. You can find pre-cooked lentils at most grocery stores.
There are many different varieties of lentils too, and each has a slightly different flavor and texture. We typically use brown lentils or red split lentils, but other common lentil varieties include green and black.
Ingredients in The Best Lentil Salad
This salad is full of fresh flavorful ingredients, making this a super healthy and hearty meal option. The lentils and produce are all tossed with a delicious Cilantro Curry Vinaigrette that ties everything together.
Lentil Salad Ingredients
To make this Lentil Salad, you’ll need:
- Lentils – using pre-cooked brown lentils makes this recipe super easy and flavorful.
- Carrots – these add great nutrients and crunch to the salad.
- Cucumbers – we prefer using Persian cucumbers or other varieties with small seeds.
- Bell peppers – for best flavor, use a yellow, red, or orange bell pepper. Green bell peppers are less sweet and don’t taste as good in this salad.
- Red onion – we love the color and flavor of red onions, but if you only have a yellow or sweet onion, that would be okay.
- Avocado – we suggest using Hass avocados for maximum creaminess. Mixing them in at the end keeps them from getting too mushy too.
- Cilantro – we already use cilantro in the dressing, so adding extra cilantro to the salad really amps up that fresh flavor.
Cilantro Curry Vinaigrette
This is one of our favorite salad dressings. We love using it in this lentil salad, but it’s also a great option for topping other salads or even sheet pan meals.
For this vinaigrette, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- Olive oil – use a good quality extra virgin olive oil here, as it makes up much of the flavor. We find that a milder flavored one is best.
- Fresh lime juice – this provides the much-needed fresh acidity.
- Apple cider vinegar – for extra acid, we used a little apple cider vinegar, which also gives a little sweetness. If you don’t want to use two different kinds of acid in this recipe, however, you can substitute this for more lime.
- Cilantro – since you’re blending this dressing, there’s no need to remove the stems. They can blend right up with the leaves!
- Curry powder – this recipe doesn’t skimp on curry powder, so be sure to use a curry powder that you like.
- Maple syrup or honey – a little sweetener balances out the acidity and curry powder. If you want to keep this vegan, use maple syrup.
- Spicy brown mustard – as with most of our vinaigrettes, we added spicy brown mustard (not big Dijon fans here) to help emulsify and thicken the dressing. Many brands are gluten-free.
- Salt and pepper – as with all vinaigrettes, be sure to taste it for seasoning and adjust accordingly.
How to Make The Best Lentil Salad
This recipe comes together super easily and quickly. The majority of the time spent on it comes from chopping the vegetables. If you have a regular blender or immersion blender, the vinaigrette is also super easy to make.
To start, add the dressing ingredients to a high sided container and blend with an immersion blender until smooth. Alternatively, you can blend everything in a regular blender.
Add the lentils, carrots, cucumber, bell peppers, red onion, and avocado to a large bowl. Pour the dressing over the salad and mix gently to combine.
Garnish with extra cilantro and dig in!
The Best Lentil Salad
Ingredients
Lentil Salad
- 1 pound pre-cooked lentils
- 2 carrots, diced (about 1 cup)
- 3 Persian cucumbers, diced (about 1 cup)
- 1 yellow, orange, or red bell pepper, diced (about 1 cup)
- ¼ red onion, diced
- 1 avocado, diced
- Cilantro, chopped (for garnish)
Cilantro Curry Vinaigrette
- 1 cup cilantro
- ½ cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp honey or maple syrup, (use maple syrup to keep this vegan)
- 1 tsp spicy brown mustard
- 1 tsp curry powder
- ½ to 1 tsp sea salt, depending on preference
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add the lentils, carrots, cucumber, bell peppers, red onion, and avocado.1 pound pre-cooked lentils, 2 carrots, 3 Persian cucumbers, 1 yellow, orange, or red bell pepper, ¼ red onion, 1 avocado
- Add the dressing ingredients to a high sided container and blend with an immersion blender until smooth. Alternatively, you can blend everything in a regular blender.1 cup cilantro, ½ cup olive oil, 2 tbsp lime juice, 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar, 1 tbsp honey or maple syrup, 1 tsp spicy brown mustard, 1 tsp curry powder, ½ to 1 tsp sea salt, ¼ tsp black pepper
- Pour the dressing over the salad and mix gently to combine.
- Garnish with extra cilantro.Cilantro
