You can never go wrong with lentils and this lentil salad is a perfect fall dish. Packed with fresh tomatoes, kale, feta cheese, and a simple vinaigrette, this is a simple yet filling salad.
One of my favorite things to cook once fall hit is lentils. They are a favorite of mine and this salad is a perfect way to eat them. Plus, it is great as a side dish or a main course. Packed with fresh tomatoes, cucumbers and feta cheese, it is exactly what the doctor ordered when it comes to taste. Perfect for meal prep and a great vegetarian option for those that like a hearty salad.
In this recipe
Sometimes I feel like there is everything and the kitchen sink in this salad, but it is just so good.
Lentils: the star of the show and you can use any, but I would avoid red lentils since they tend to become mushy and dissolve
Kale: add a little bitterness and texture to the salad
Tomatoes: use grape or cherry tomatoes for the salad. However, you can use any tomato you can get your hands on for this salad.
Cucumber: add a crisp to the salad and I use seedless for this recipe.
What kinds of lentils are there?
There are quite a few options when it comes to cooking with lentils, and they all have their pros and cons.
Red lentils: can be called red, orange or yellow lentils. They are normally sold split and are great for soups and stews to thicken, or a sauce to be blended. They will normally disintegrate when cooked.
Brown lentils: these are the most common lentils and are great for soups, salads, and even veggie burgers as they hold their shape well. If a package doesn’t give another color descriptor, then you can assume they are brown.
Green lentils: they are pretty close to the brown lentils and hold up just as well. They are great for the same uses as well. With a slight peppery taste, they are a great substitute for Puy lentils
Puy lentils: these are specialty lentils and grown in a specific region in France. They are considered high quality lentils and make a great stand-alone side dish.
Black Beluga lentils: when cooked they look like caviar which is where they get the name and like Puy lentils, they are great as a stand-alone side dish or as the base for a protein.
Cooking the lentils
One of the most important things is making sure that the lentils don’t come out mushy. Red, orange, and yellow lentils aren’t really your friend for this recipe. They tend to dissolve and get mushy pretty quickly and are better used for soups. Green and brown are a better choice. Once the vegetable stock has been brought to a boil then you will reduce to a simmer and cook for only 15 – 20 minutes. They will be nice and tender yet still firm. This is exactly what you are looking for when it comes to their texture.
Keeping the lentil salad
One of the things that makes this recipe great is that you can use it for your meal prep. If dressed the lentil salal will last about 2-3 days. However, if you keep the portions undressed and in an airtight container you can get up to 5 days for the salad. Makes for a perfect salad to grab and go when you are on the run and need something healthy, tasty, and filling.
Looking for other salad recipes?
Lentil Salad
Equipment
- Saucepan
- Mixing Bowl
- Mason jar
Ingredients
- 2 cups vegetable stock
- 1½ cup kale roughly chopped, packed
- 8 ounces cherry tomatoes, sliced, and quartered
- 1 cup cucumber diced
- ½ cup lentils dry
- ½ cup red onion chopped
- ¼ cup feta cheese crumbled
- ¼ cup parsley chopped
- 2 tablespoons mint chopped
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Dressing
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon champagne vinegar
- 2 teaspoons honey
- ½ tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a saucepan bring the vegetable stock and lentils to a boil, cover, and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook about 15-20 minutes until tender but not mushy. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
- In a mason jar combine the olive oil, vinegar, honey, mustard, garlic, salt, and pepper flakes. Seal and shake until blended.
- In a large bowl add the kale, salt and lemon juice. Toss to combine and let sit for 10 minutes
- When the lentils have cooled add them along with the cucumber, feta, tomatoes, onion, parsley, and mint to kale. Add the dressing and gently toss to combine.
Nutrition
