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
This recipe is delicious and full of crunch and flavor surprises. Rainbow Plant Life is my go-to when I’m looking for a recipe – your recipes are always successful both in flavor and ease and I can always count on your dishes to be delicious, even when I have to substitute an ingredient – well done and thank you!!
Hi, Patricia! We appreciate your kind words, thanks for all of the support!
We made this for a Memorial Day barbecue with friends today, and it is so amazing. We used the French green lentils from Trader Joe’s (which are not le Puy lentils, but are still really good) and they have a really nice texture. We couldn’t find Aleppo pepper at the store, so I did 1/2 teaspoon kashmiri chile powder and 1-1/2 teaspoons paprika. We had dill and mint from the CSA, so we used those. We’ll definitely be making this again. Thank you!!
Thanks for sharing your experience with us, Heather! We are so happy you enjoyed the salad and hope you had a lovely Memorial Day!
Tastes so much better than I imagined.
Thanks for the lovely feedback, Eva!
Surprisingly good and super easy to do! Will definitely make it again 😀
That’s so great to hear, Arlenys! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating alongside your review? Star ratings are big help to readers who are thinking of making the recipe. Thanks!
This salad is so so good. I’ve made it many times and it always surprises me with how flavorful it is.
Tonight, I put it in a lavash bread wrap with Nisha’s homemade hummus and holy moly is that a killer combination!
Oooh, drooling thinking about that combo, Anna! 🙂 Thanks for the awesome review!
This recipe is amazingly and unexpectedly good!
I used Trader Joe’s steamed lentils to save time, almonds instead of pine nuts, minced preserved lemon instead of the lemon zest, and more vinegar. I really like the way the herbs boost the overall flavor. The lentil salad was served over roasted potatoes and we love the end result.
We’ve become huge fans of the lentils/roasted potatoes combinations, can’t recommend it enough!
Thanks for sharing your cooking experience with us, Pamela! Those additions sound magnificent!
Made it for a friendsgiving and everyone loved it! I used balsamic vinegar instead and sliced almonds. If I made it again I’d probably use pine nuts or chopped pistachio/almonds instead so that it’s smaller but still amazing!
Shruti, Thank you for your thoughtful review! We’re so happy to hear that everyone enjoyed the lentil salad.
If I don’t have red wine vinegar or champagne vinegar, would balsamic be ok to substitute?
Hi Shruti, I’d suggest substituting with apple cider vinegar, white wine vinegar, or lemon juice if you can. You can use balsamic vinegar, but it will add a sweeter, richer flavor compared to champagne / red wine vinegar. If you do use balsamic vinegar, you may want to reduce the quantity slightly or mix it with a splash of lemon juice to balance the sweetness. Enjoy!
Excellent lentil salad. I was not one to like lentils but this recipe makes negative crave lentils.
Thanks for the kind words, Lise! I feel the same! This and Nisha’s tahini lentils from her new cookbook 🙂 Cheers!
Made this salad last night. It is so delicious and easy to make. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
We’re over the moon to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Lana. Thanks for your kind words!