A lentil salad might not sound like the lunch you look forward to all day, but this one is.
It starts with French lentils tossed in a warm dressing of gently fried shallots, garlic, pine nuts, and lemon zest, so every bite is aromatic instead of just dutifully healthy. Then come the fresh herbs and arugula nuts to round it out.
It comes together in 30 minutes with no fancy techniques, which makes it a reliable backpocket meal and one of my favorite things to meal prep ahead of busy weeks.
And there’s no wrong season for it. It’s substantial enough for winter (and easy to make heartier with leftover roasted veg), but bright enough to belong on a summer table. Try it once and you might just start making it every week.
This one’s on repeat in my house 🔁
With over 175k views, this video was a hit on my YouTube channel. I hope you love it just as much! Plus, my onion goggles make a rare appearance. Trust me, you don’t wanna miss it.
Ingredient notes
- French green lentils: AKA “Puy lentils.” They’re my preferred lentil here because they hold their shape and have a tender yet firm texture when cooked—no mushiness!
- Shallots & garlic: You’ll sauté these two classic aromatics with the nuts to build a savory, subtly sweet depth of flavor in the oil that dresses the lentils.
- Pine nuts: They’re a showstopper in this salad, as the brief toast in oil enhances their natural flavors and infuses the dressing with a rich nuttiness.
- Seasonings: Lemon zest, chile flakes, and flaky sea salt join forces to give this salad its uniquely zesty brightness.
- Arugula: Leafy greens bulk up the salad while sneaking brain, skin, and gut-healthy nutrients into your diet.
- Herbs: For freshness, flavor, and dimension, I use a mixture of parsley, basil, and mint, but feel free to use only one herb, or a dynamic duo like dill + parsley or cilantro + mint.
Customize and substitute:
Can’t find french green lentils? Black beluga lentils are the next best option. Can’t find either? Use regular green or brown lentils—but only cook them until al dente to avoid a mushy salad.
No shallots? Half of a small or medium yellow onion works great.
Nut allergy? Use a mixture of roasted pepitas and sunflower seeds, or even sesame seeds.
Pine nuts too pricy? Use another nut like almonds, pistachios, or walnuts—just make sure to roughly chop them first.
Not into arugula? Use any salad green you love or what’s in season: baby kale, massaged mature kale, watercress, mesclun, or romaine would all be great here!
Want more veggies? There are loads of ways to customize this salad!
Step-by-step instructions
To cook the lentils, bring a saucepan full of salted water to a boil, then add the lentils, bay leaf, and freshly cracked pepper.
Simmer until the lentils are al dente, then drain.
Meanwhile, saute the shallots and garlic over medium heat. Cook until the shallots are just starting to get some color.
Add the pine nuts to the pan. The heat will bring out their natural oils, bringing a beautiful nutty flavor to the salad that you wouldn’t get from raw nuts.
Now stir in the lemon zest, chile flakes, and flaky salt. Toss for 30 seconds, then transfer the mixture to a bowl to prevent them from cooking further.
While the lentils are cooking, chop the fresh herbs.
Add the cooked lentils to the bowl with the aromatic oil. Toss with salt and pepper, then add the vinegar, lemon juice, and fresh herbs. Toss it all together and adjust the flavor to your taste.
To finish, add the fresh arugula and use tongs to incorporate them into the lentil salad. Season with a little salt and pepper as needed, then serve!
Tips for making this recipe
This is no time for dried herbs
The fresh herbs are a sneaky star of the show here, delivering freshness, color, as well as textural and flavor nuance. Dried herbs won’t do much here—save them for another recipe.
Supercharge your lentils with flavor
As I mention in my YouTube video, 3 Delicious Lentil Recipes, one of my favorite ways to infuse cooked lentils with dynamite flavor is to add flavoring agents to the cooking water.
Salted water + a bay leaf do the trick in this recipe, but feel free to get creative and add chopped shallots, black pepper, fresh thyme or rosemary, carrots, celery, or garlic cloves.
Don’t overcook the lentils
Keep an eye on the lentils and only simmer them until they’re al dente (tender but with a bite). Salads need texture, not mushiness!
Add the greens at the end
Give the lemon-and-herb-dressed lentils a few minutes to cool before tossing them with the salad greens. This way, the heat of the cooked lentils won’t cause the arugula to wilt.
Customize this salad!
Don’t be afraid to make this one your own! A few ideas:
Tailor the spice to your liking by playing with the amount of Aleppo pepper or red pepper flakes.
Substitute the champagne vinegar for red wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, more lemon juice, or any type of vinegar you prefer (distilled white vinegar will work, but use less, ½ to 1 tablespoon, as it’s harsher in flavor).
Bulk it up with more vegetables. In winter, fold in roasted sweet potatoes / butternut squash / cauliflower. For warmer weather, toss in shaved carrot ribbons or quartered cherry tomatoes.
Jazz up the flavor with a drizzle of basil pesto, or a spoonful of tzatziki or tahini sauce.
For a quicker alternative, skip sauteing the garlic and shallots in olive oil and instead toss the cooked lentils with my Red Wine Vinaigrette. Fold in the fresh herbs and arugula before serving (skip the vinegar, as there’s vinegar in the vinaigrette).
I love a composed salad, and if you do too, try my Mediterranean Chickpea Salad, Edamame Salad with Sesame Dressing, or The Best Quinoa Salad. Is the weather cool where you live? Check out my fall/winter-ready Roasted Pumpkin Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can be creative when thinking about how to serve lentil salad. For a healthy and filling meal, pair it seeded multigrain bread or sturdy crackers for scooping. You can even scoop the lentils and greens over a creamy dip, like homemade hummus or the lemon yogurt sauce from my Broccoli and Za’atar Chickpeas recipe.
You can use canned lentils if you’re short on time, but cooking dried lentils yourself is the way to go when it comes to achieving the best flavor and texture.
Yes, the lentils and aromatic oil can be made ahead of time and stored in separate containers in the fridge. When it’s time to serve, toss them together along with the fresh herbs and arugula.
Transfer the leftover salad to an airtight container and store it in the fridge. It will stay fresh for 3 to 4 days.
If you love this Mediterranean lentil salad, please be sure to leave a rating and review below! It’s always much appreciated 🙂 And tag me on Instagram – I love seeing your feedback!
Introducing
Big Vegan Flavor
Techniques and 150 recipes to master vegan cooking.
Mediterranean Lentil Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup (200g) French green lentils or Black Beluga lentils (See Note 1)
- Kosher salt + freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- ¼ cup (56g) extra virgin olive oil
- 2 medium shallots, thinly sliced
- 5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- ½ cup (~70g) pine nuts, or chopped almonds or pistachios (See Note 2)
- 2 medium lemons, zested + 2 tablespoons of the juice
- 2 teaspoons Aleppo pepper (or ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes; half for mild heat)
- Heaping ½ teaspoon flaky sea salt
- 1 to 1 ½ tablespoons champagne vinegar (or red wine vinegar), more as needed
- 1 ½ cups (~24g) fresh soft herbs such as basil, mint, parsley, and/or cilantro, chopped (See Note 3)
- 3 cups (40g) arugula
Instructions
- Cook the lentils. Fill a medium saucepan with water and generously salt, as you would salt cooking water for pasta. Once the water is boiling, add the lentils, bay leaf, and a few rounds of black pepper.
- Reduce the heat to simmer and maintain a simmer for 17 to 20 minutes, or until the lentils are al dente (tender but with a bite). When the lentils are al dente, drain them over a colander and discard the bay leaf. Shake the colander a few times to get rid of water.
- While the lentils cook, heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Once warm, add the shallots and garlic with a pinch of salt. Cook for 3 minutes, or until shallots are just starting to get some color.a. Add the pine nuts and cook, stirring from time to time, for 4 to 6 minutes, or until garlic is just turning golden brown around the edges and the pine nuts are toasted and nicely browned.b. Add lemon zest, chile flakes, and flaky salt, and cook for 30 seconds, tossing frequently. Take off heat immediately and pour into a large bowl to stop cooking.
- While the lentils cook, chop the fresh herbs.
- Add the lentils to the aromatic oil, season with ½ teaspoon kosher salt, black pepper to taste, and toss well. Add the vinegar (starting with 1 tablespoon), 2 tablespoons lemon juice, fresh herbs and toss well to combine.
- Now add the arugula and toss together with tongs to just gently wilt. Season the salad with salt and pepper if needed.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Love this? Leave a rating below!Recipe: Nisha Vora / Rainbow Plant Life | Photography: Megan Morello
I just made this for my lunch. Absolutely delicious. I will be making this deliciousness again! 😋
That’s lovely to hear, Donna! This recipe is definitely a favorite of mine as well 🙂
So flavorful and delicious! I added some chopped asparagus as well, and it was great!
Hi Karen, thank you so much for your kind review!
The salt amounts are unclear. There’s 1) a large dose of kosher salt for the lentil water, 2) 1/2tsp of flaky salt that goes in with the lemon zest, and then 3) another 1/2tsp of kosher salt when combining?
Hi Dustin, sorry for the late reply!
Yes, most of the salt gets drained when draining the lentils.
There is flaky salt that goes in with the shallots and garlic in the pan, in with the lemon zest in the pan as well as a bit at the very end.
The secret to good cooking is adding a bit of salt at different stages. Let me know if you have any more questions!
I just made this and it’s delicious! I used walnuts and was skeptical about having nuts in this salad, but wow it creates such a nice contrast. Do not skip the nuts!!
Thanks for the lovely feedback, Paola!
This was great! My wife has become vegan and while I’ve done okay adjusting to the cooking, sometimes it’s like: Which of the 10 or so dishes with beans, garbanzos, lentils or tofu am I making tonight? I mean yes, it’s lentils, but this was really different and perfect on a summer evening.
Not having French green lentils I was willing to substitute regular green or brown lentils, but my grocery store had Pardina lentils which are (apparently) very similar to French ones, but from Spain. My only other substitution was white wine vinegar, and–although I haven’t made it yet with champagne or red wine vinegar–I thought it was great. It wasn’t harsh, but just added to the bright zestiness of the flavor.
Another winner from Nisha! I’ve been making your Red Lentil Curry for years, and have added to the repertoire Tofu Curry, Curried Chickpeas, your amazing Red Lentil Bolognese, and I can’t keep enough Crunchy Indian Lentil snack mix to keep up with my wife and daughter (and hey, I love it all too, of course). THANKS NISHA!
Hi Sean, thank you so much for such a wonderful review! It’s great to hear this lentil salad hit it out of the park for you.
We’re delighted you’re such a fan of the recipes 🙂 Cheers!
We hosted a mezze dinner and this was far-and-away everyone’s favorite dish! These lentils strike the perfect balance between rich, complex flavor and fresh, herby notes to inspire just one more bite. Yum!
So awesome to hear, Callan! This one’s a favorite in my household too!
Wow!!! Best salad I’ve ever had. Thank you!!!
Awe, what an amazing compliment, Rachael! Thanks! 🙂
This is my favourite recipe of yours that I’ve made so far. I wouldn’t consider going vegan if it weren’t for incredible resources like this website, which offers consistently delicious and healthy food inspiration. Thank you for the time and effort you put into these recipes!
Hi Brooke, thank you for your kind words 🙂 We are honored you’re such a fan of the recipe! Have you tried the quinoa salad yet? That one’s great as well!
Made this for a sunny spring lunch for friends and was absolutely delicious, will definitely make again!
Awesome, Flora. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!
This recipe has become part of my regular rotation! It’s quick and flavourful and surprisingly hearty. I usually serve it with roasted potatoes or some bread and baba ghanoush.
Thanks, Nisha, for another great dish 🙂