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Lentil salad in a clear bowl with a serving spoon
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5 from 3 votes

Lentil Salad Recipe

A quick and delicious Spanish lentil salad recipe -- ready in only 30 minutes!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Main, Main Course, Salad, Starter, Vegetarian
Cuisine: Spanish
Diet: Low Calorie, Low Fat, Vegetarian
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 350.4kcal
Author: Lauren Aloise

Ingredients

For the Salad

  • 1 cup dry lentils brown lentils, green lentils, and black lentils all work well.
  • 1 bay leaf
  • ½ cup carrots finely diced. (About two medium carrots).
  • ½ cup red bell pepper finely diced. (About half a large bell pepper).
  • ½ cup onion finely diced. (About half of a small onion. You can use a sweet white onion or a red onion).
  • ½ cup cucumber deseeded and finely diced. (About one medium cucumber).
  • ¼ cup parsley minced.

For the Dressing

  • 1 clove garlic minced.
  • 4 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (The juice of about two lemons).
  • 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar (You can sub red wine vinegar if necessary).
  • 2 teaspoon lemon zest
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
  • ¼ teaspoon smoked sweet Spanish paprika (pimentón dulce).
  • ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (more to taste).
  • salt (to taste).

Instructions

  • Put the dry lentils and bay leaf into a pot and cover with two inches of water.
    Lentils in a pot covered with water.
  • Bring the lentils to a boil and then lower to a simmer and cover. Cook according to package instructions (usually for 15-25 minutes) until al dente (cooked through but still firm to the bite). Start tasting around the 15-minute mark so that you don't overcook.
    Cooked lentils in a pot.
  • While the lentils are cooking, prepare the vegetables by dicing everything into small and even pieces. Put everything into a large serving bowl.
    Diced veggies in a clear bowl.
  • To prepare the dressing, combine the cumin, paprika, lemon juice, sherry vinegar, lemon zest, and minced garlic in a bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Taste and adjust for salt and pepper.
    Salad dressing in a metal bowl.
  • When the lentils are tender but not mushy, drain in a colander and rinse with cold water. Make sure they're well-drained so that the salad isn't watered down.
  • Add the lentils to the large salad bowl with the rest of the vegetables. Mix everything together and pour on the dressing. Taste and adjust for salt and pepper. Enjoy immediately or keep in the fridge for up to four days.
    Pouring dressing over lentil salad ingredients.

Notes

  • You can use the lentil of your choice, but it should be one that holds its shape and doesn't get too mushy. Brown, black, and green lentils work well. You cannot use canned lentils, they will be too mushy.
  • Make sure to cook the lentils until al dente (tender, but not mushy). 
  • Feel free to substitute different veggies if needed. 
  • Try to get smoked Spanish paprika (pimentón dulce) -- it has a great, unique flavor.
  • You can prepare this salad in advance (it tastes even better after marinating for a couple of hours) and it will last up to four days in the fridge.

Nutrition

Calories: 350.4kcal | Carbohydrates: 30.33g | Protein: 16.2g | Fat: 18.89g | Saturated Fat: 2.61g | Sodium: 92.56mg | Potassium: 756.54mg | Fiber: 19.72g | Sugar: 4.29g | Vitamin A: 3674.3IU | Vitamin C: 41.7mg | Calcium: 58.07mg | Iron: 5.18mg