Crisp Lentil Salad

Name: Crisp Lentil Salad
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 2 cups cooked brown lentils; 1/2 cup chopped artichoke hearts; 3 each baby cucumbers (thinly sliced); 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes; 1/3 cup finely chopped purple onion; 1/4 cup Italian dressing; 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

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Salads are the perfect meal or snack to whip up on the fly! This Crisp Lentil Salad is the perfect way to enjoy plant-based eating all year round! Plus, this protein packed salad can be served on its own or enjoyed with the Chili Cheese Pita Wedges (pinky promise, it’s delicious!)

Large salad bowl with lentil salad against white backdrop with wooden spoon. — Crisp lentil salad filled with summer produce and a light dressing.

Why You Need this Fresh Lentil Salad

Do you ever go through those kicks where the standard romaine or green leaf lettuce just doesn’t cut it for you? Trust me, you aren’t alone!

That’s why I love making cold lentil salads like this! They are the perfect way to incorporate more veggies into your diet (something we all can use more of!) while satisfying and satiating you as well.

What You Need to Make Crisp Lentil Salad

White backdrop with ingredients to make crisp lentil salad.

Ingredient Swaps + Substitutions

lentils: this recipe uses a brown lentil that holds well and provides an earthy flavor alongside the veggies, however a green lentil would also work well in this recipe too.
veggies: my family prefers the combination of cucumbers, tomatoes, and artichoke hearts in here, but feel free to substitute your favorite vegetables like broccoli and snap peas
Italian dressing: we make this with a d-i-y version of an Italian dressing, however you could also use your favorite vinaigrette in here as well

How to Make Cold Lentil Salad

First, if you are making your own dressing, start by whisking all the ingredients in one bowl. Then set aside.

Then, add the cooked and cooled lentils to a large bowl with the cut vegetables and diced onions. Pour the dressing over the top.

Gently mix all the ingredients together, then toss with chopped parsley.

Serve immediately or store in the fridge to serve later in the day.

Recipe Notes + Expert Tips

This recipe is pretty fool proof! Here are the key things to keep in mind when making this lentil salad.

If you aren’t using a packaged cooked lentil you’ve picked up at the market, make sure you thoroughly drain and cool your cooked lentils from scratch WELL before making this salad. Having leftover water from cooked lentils will create a very soggy (and unpleasant) texture to the salad.
When purchasing artichoke hearts, be sure to remove any of the tougher artichoke leaves before chopping them up to add to the salad.
Baby cucumbers are the BEST for this salad. The thicker conventional cucumbers and even English cucumbers don’t work as well with the texture of the salad.
Grape and/or cherry tomatoes are wonderful in here. Be sure to halve or quarter them depending on their size.

I also highly recommend making your own Italian dressing for this recipe!

Here’s what you need:

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1 1/1 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt

Whisk together and voila, your dressing is ready to be tossed onto this beautiful fresh lentil and vegetable salad!

FAQs

If I refrigerate this salad after making it, how long will it last?

It’s best to consume this within 2 days. While it will last up to 3 or 4 from a food safety perspective, it’s not as fresh and the taste and texture begin to fade.

My salad is REALLY soup-like. WHY!?

I’m willing to bet you didn’t drain any excess liquid from your packaged lentils, or you had leftover residual water from making your own cooked lentils. You can pat the lentils dry with paper towels next time to ensure you don’t have extra moisture going into this recipe.

I need a little crunch. What should I add?

Shout out to my mom for this one! Sunflower seeds add BIG texture to this beauty, as will some crumbled feta if you don’t mind if this is vegetarian and not vegan.

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