Mediterranean Lentil Salad Recipe

A healthy salad with lentils 

Today I’m going to show you how to make Mediterranean lentil salad with hearty lentils and just a few vegetables. This is an easy salad that you can have as a side dish or simply as a light lunch. 

Ingredients

To make this easy salad, you need the following ingredients: 

• Lentils: You can use green or brown lentils for this recipe.  
• Red onion: I prefer red onion to white or yellow onion to use in salads since they have better flavor in salads. 
• Olives: You can use both green or black olives. I love using kalamata or Turkish black olives. I suggest you ditch the canned olives and get the jarred ones or, even better, shop for olives at the Mediterranean bar of your local supermarket. 
• Cucumbers: As always, I go for Persian or mini cucumbers since they are more flavorful and don’t have big seeds. 
• Tomatoes: Roma tomatoes work well for this recipe. Use firm tomatoes so you can chop them easily. 
• Herbs: For this recipe use parsley and dill. Both flat leaf or curly parsley would work in this recipe. 

What kind of lentils to use

Lentils come in so many colors, shapes and sizes. The typical green lentils would work well for this recipe since they hold they’re shape and are easy to stir and mix. You can find green lentils at any supermarket. You can also use brown lentils for this recipe but not red lentils since they lose their shape when cooked and become mushy. Read more about different types of lentils on The Kitchn. 

Are lentils gluten free?

Since lentils are allowed by law to contain a certain percentage of foreign grain such as rye and wheat, it’s important to check the packaging to make sure they are gluten free, meaning they have less than 20 ppm of gluten. If you eat gluten free or you are gluten intolerant, please make sure to check the packaging before making a purchase.  

Instructions

• To cook lentils, place them in a sauce pan and rinse them a few times with cold water. Pour enough water to cover the lentils and add one teaspoon salt to the water. 
• Bring the lentils to a rolling boil and simmer covered until they are completely cooked. This will take about 20 to 30 minutes. Drain the excess water and let them cool before adding them to the salad. 
• Chop the red onions, cucumber and tomatoes and place them in a large bowl Add the cooked lentils, olives, chopped parsley and dill.
• To make the lemon oregano dressing, mix lemon juice, oregano, sumac, cayenne pepper and salt in a small jar, pour it over the salad and give it a toss. Serve immediately or refrigerate for 30 minutes and serve cold. 

Frequently asked questions

Other additions

You can add other ingredients such as cheese and different vegetables to this easy and quick lentils salad. Some of my favorite additions are: 

• Red or yellow bell peppers
• Feta cheese 
• Grilled halloumi cheese
• Spinach 
• Pomegranate
• Sun-dried tomatoes
• Walnuts 

Serving suggestions

This cold lentil salad can be served as a nice side dish to different dishes such as Mediterranean chicken, pan seared salmon, beef shish kabob or baked dijon salmon. You can also have it as a light lunch or dinner on its own or with a slice of crusty bread such as sourdough. 

Storing the leftovers

Since this hearty lentil salad contains tomatoes and cucumbers, it’s best to have it right away. However, you can also store leftovers in an airtight glass container for up to two days. I don’t suggest freezing this salad because of the fresh vegetables.